Why can’t young English footballers get a game?
“With one flash of magic, Callum Hudson-odoi reminded everybody why he is such a coveted talent,” said David Hytner in The Guardian. When Chelsea’s 18-year-old winger received the ball, in a 3-0 FA Cup win over Sheffield Wednesday, his “first touch was true”. His second was even better: he chopped inside, killing his marker. Then he buried the ball in the net, to score his first goal in English football. It came a day after Hudson-odoi handed in a transfer request, in a bid to force a move to Bayern Munich. It’s easy to see why the German club has taken a shine to him, said Henry Winter in The Times. In his past four starts, he has two goals and three assists. But the Blues have only started him in the FA Cup and Europa League. That’s how it is at Chelsea: they have a great academy, yet they fail to hand chances to their “wonderful young players”.
It’s not just Chelsea, said J.J. Bull in The Daily Telegraph. At a time when English football is more competitive than ever, the Premier League “simply doesn’t allow for young players to break through”. Even the best clubs can’t afford to take chances. Rather than warm the bench, players like Hudson-odoi, who appears to be staying put for now, would prefer to follow the example of Jadon Sancho, the 18-year-old England winger. Since leaving Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund in 2017, Sancho has taken German football by storm. His is the example to follow.