From Bellingham to Wharton: 10 rising EFL stars to look out for in 2024
Jobe Bellingham, 18, Sunderland
Perhaps the most obvious name on this list, Jude’s younger brother left Birmingham in the summer and instantly assumed an instrumental role in Sunderland’s attack. He wears his first name on the back of his No 7 shirt, born from his desire to craft his own burgeoning reputation. He has been reunited with sporting director Kristjaan Speakman and the coaches Mike Dodds and Stuart English, all of whom were influential in his development at Birmingham. The rangy attacking midfielder, who has also starred as a striker, has made a big splash but debate over his best position continues. “I enjoy playing as a box-to-box midfielder the most,” Bellingham said recently. He made his England Under-19s debut in September.
Jaden Philogene, 21, Hull
The winger was so impressive for Aston Villa in pre-season, it seemed Unai Emery would retain his talents and there was a reason why the club he joined aged 17 were adamant on inserting a buyback clause in the £5m deal that took him to Hull. Philogene shone on loan at Cardiff last season but has gone up another gear and only a knee injury put a stop to his flying start on Humberside. Has six goals in his past nine league appearances – his audacious backheel against Rotherham, zipped through the legs of the defender Sean Morrison, the pick of the bunch – and he scored twice on his England Under-21s debut in October. He is set to return in January, the start of a big year.
Jonathan Rowe, 20, Norwich
The forward grew up in the shadow of the national stadium, the sights and sounds of match days impossible to ignore, and joined Norwich from local side AFC Wembley, aged 11. “We once got a trampoline in the back garden and I’d jump on the trampoline and see a clear view of Wembley,” he said. He had not started a senior game before this season – an ankle injury during a training camp in Tampa last year dented his progress – but Rowe has flourished under David Wagner this term, scoring 10 goals in 22 league appearances, two of which came in this month’s derby draw at Ipswich. Wagner recently described Rowe as “the complete offensive player”.
Jordan James, 19, Birmingham
Only a few months ago the teenager was running games for Wales and coming out on top of a midfield battle with Luka Modric but still playing a bit-part role for the club he joined aged eight. Wayne Rooney is keen to tap into his potential, with James a regular started of late and the midfielder who plays and handles himself with a maturity that belies his years seems to relish taking responsibility for club and country. The son of the former Hereford and Burton defender Tony, James was a standout performer in the 3-2 defeat by Leicester recently, scoring twice. Rob Page, the Wales manager, could hardly be a bigger fan and is adamant he can “go to the top … he ticks a lot of boxes; he has got everything”.
Adam Wharton, 19, Blackburn
Jon Dahl Tomasson knows a thing or two about the elite level and so it carried weight when the former Denmark striker claimed Wharton possessed Champions League quality. “He can do things that nobody sees before,” said Tomasson, the Blackburn manager who won the competition with Milan two decades ago. “He can play under pressure, one touch, and has great vision.” Wharton has progressed through Blackburn’s academy, which he joined aged six, and recently signed a new five-year deal. Gregg Broughton, Blackburn’s director of football, believes Wharton is the best English prospect outside the top flight. His brother, Scott, seven years older at 26, is a regular in the heart of Rovers’ defence.
Tommy Conway, 21, Bristol City
In recent years the production line at Ashton Gate has developed Lloyd Kelly, Antoine Semenyo and Alex Scott (all of whom are now in the Premier League with Bournemouth). Conway, who joined the club aged seven, enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last season, scoring 12 goals in all competitions, but his progress was perhaps overshadowed by the emergence of Scott, his old flatmate who departed in the summer. This season has been something a slow-burner but a smart double at Rotherham exhibited his nose for a goal. Conway qualifies to play for Scotland through his paternal grandfather and has represented the under-21s and trained with Steve Clarke’s senior squad. A nippy striker, the Taunton-born forward was loaned to Yate Town and Bath City as a teenager.
Hayden Hackney, 21, Middlesbrough
Shortlisted for the Championship young player of the year award last season (which was won by Scott), the Redcar-born midfielder will hope to go one better and lead his boyhood club to promotion after reaching the playoffs last season. An instrumental cog in Michael Carrick’s side, Hackney’s ability to turn a game has caught the eye of Premier League scouts. He spent the 2021-22 season on loan at Scunthorpe, who were relegated from the Football League, but his trajectory has headed in the opposite direction and Hackney is now a fixture in England’s Under-21 squad.
Archie Gray, 17, Leeds
The secret has long been out when it comes to Gray, who has followed in the footsteps of his father, Andy, grandfather Frank and great-uncle Eddie in pulling on the shirt of Leeds. Marcelo Bielsa called the midfielder, who can also play at full-back, up to first-team training two years ago and named him on the bench against Arsenal, while Gray was studying for his GCSEs. The teenager has not looked back since making his debut in August but until he turns 18 in March he must change separately from the first-team squad due to safeguarding regulations. The exciting thing for Leeds is that Gray’s younger brother, Harry, a 15-year-old striker, is also on their books.
Sam Tickle, 21, Wigan
Nobody has made more saves in League One than Tickle this season, though Wigan’s manager, Shaun Maloney, who played for the club in the top flight, conceded that at times his goalkeeper has not been as protected as he would have liked. Called up by England Under-21s in September, Tickle became Wigan’s first representative in that squad since Lee Cattermole in 2009 and the club’s first homegrown player since Leighton Baines in 2006. Tickle joined Wigan in 2012 but the club delayed his scholarship for a year to allow him to develop physically. Tickle made his league debut in May, after relegation was confirmed, but he has been ever present this season.
Fábio Jaló, 18, Barnsley
The only player on this list yet to make a league start, but one whose talents have not gone unnoticed. The former Benfica youngster, who is at home up front or on the right flank, recently hit four goals in an under-18s game against Tottenham and stepped off the bench to supply Barnsley’s equaliser in a League One victory at Reading earlier this month. Jaló, who is poised to represent Portugal Under-19s in March, has been tracked by Brentford and Brighton, among other top-flight sides, and the Serie A club Lecce had a bid rejected for him last summer. A languid forward, he was born in Lisbon but joined Barnsley aged 14 after his parents moved to Leeds.