This is the final instalment of the ‘Ballers’ of the Prem as selected by yours truly. You see, these architects of the beautiful game don’t always get their flowers as ever increasingly, statistics are dominating opinions when it comes to evaluating footballers. These aren’t just footballers, these are absolute ballers! These artists need their own metrics as their ability to entertain keep us fans in stadiums and armchairs a like serve as an inspiration to all. Anyway, here is the final piece of the puzzle. Let us know what you think, who would you have liked to have seen spotlighted as a baller? Any glaring misses? Let us know in the comments below the article.
Nottingham Forest – Morgan Gibbs White
Date of Birth: 27 January 2000 (age 23)
Place of birth: Stafford, England
Height: 1.71m
Position : Attacking Midfielder, Winger
Nationality: England
Foot: Right
Kit Number: 10
Morgan Gibbs-White is an attacking Midfielder with bags of potential. He started his career at Wolverhampton Wanderers at 11 years and came through the academy as one of the clubs brightest prospects, making his first-team debut in 2017. He became a key player for Wolves when they initially returned to the Premier League, but eventually moved to Nottingham Forest. He is an all action player that likes to get on the ball and create and makes things happen. He has an array of tricks and treats on the ball and is a player that like to entertain the crowd.
He was part of England’s U-17 squad that won the World Cup in India in 2017 where he was a key player throughout the tournament. He has also has many U21 caps to his name and has captained the U21’s on several occasions.
Morgan Gibbs White could be described as many things in relation to his role for Nottingham Forest. I would describe him as the creative leader of the team as everything goes through him. His has the ability to dribble past opponents in wide areas but is equally as comfortable dropping in deeper central areas and spreading the play. He is a strong tackler and is not afraid to put in a shift defensively. Also, he is a dead ball specialist and takes corners and free kicks.
Sheffield United – James McAtee
Date of Birth: 18 October 2002 (Age 21)
Place of birth: Salford, England
Height: 1.80 m
Position : Midfielder, Winger
Nationality: England
Foot: Left
Kit Number: 28
James McAtee is an attacking midfielder who plays on loan for Sheffiled United. His parent club is Manchester City. He is affectionately known as the ‘Salford Silva’ and is noted for his excellent close control, dribbling and vision.
He has become a fan favourite for his relentless energy and personality (he often incorporates a somersault in his goal celebration) but it is his style of play that is just a joy to watch. His excellent close control and his love of a nutmeg, dribbling in tight spaces, pulling off the incredible has made him a cult figure at Brammall Lane.
I could be wrong but I anticipate James McAtee becoming an England international within the next 18 months, however he needs to play regularly to display his true potential. With a new manager at the helm at Sheffield United it is not certain whether he will get more minutes. I am staggering that he has received so few international caps at U21 level, given his potential.
Tottenham Hotspur – Son Heung-min
Date of Birth: 8 July 1992 (age 31)
Place of birth:, Chuncheon, South Korea
Height: 1.84 m
Position : Forward
Nationality: South Korean
Foot: Right
Kit Number: 7
Son Heung-min is one of the most popular Premier League stars, admired around the world for his complete attacking game. He can play in all 4 attacking positions; LF, CF, RF and AM and has done so at the highest level for for both club and country whom he is currently the captain for both sides.
He is a known for his high work ethic, his fitness, and his high work rate is illustrated by his ability to run for the duration of the game without tiring. 3 seasons ago he also recorded the highest speed in the Premier League at just under 23mph. His pace along with his trademark dribbling ability makes him one of the most dangerous players in the Premier League as Burnley discovered when he recorded that sprint speed and scored one of the best individual goals the Premier League has ever seen.
He has a great eye for a pass. No disrespect to Harry Kane’s finishing ability, but his PL goal tally owes everything, well a great deal to Son selfless decisions. Son is incredibly agile and can change direction quickly. This makes him difficult to defend against and allows him to incorporate step overs and get past defenders with ease. He is a clinical finisher and has a very high conversion rate. He like Kane, is a finisher with the full set; predatory inside the box with both feet and head with has the ability to finish outside the box with either foot, as well as cross with both feet. He is one of the most skilful attacking players in the world and is a key player for both Tottenham Hotspur and the South Korea national team. Is this the season when he will get a winners medal with South Korea in the forthcoming Asia Cup or even With Spurs in the Premier League? Time will tell.
West Ham United – Mohammed Kudus
Name: Mohammed Kudus
Date of Birth: 2 August 2000 (age 23)
Place of birth:, Nima, Ghana
Height: 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position : Attacking Midfielder, Rght Winger
Nationality: Ghanaian
Foot: Left
Kit Number: 14
Mohammed Kudus plays as a Winger for West Ham United. His best position is still hasn’t been determined at his new club, but what is not up for debate is in a matter of games he has become a cult hero amongst the faithful at the London stadium due to his extraordinary talent.
He built a strong reputation at Ajax, where he started to get regular minutes when Antony left the club for Manchester United. His excellent dribbling ability has seen him mesmerise defenders and his upper body strength keeps opponents bouncing off him when he is pressurised in tight areas. He is an excellent finisher and has started scoring for his new club regularly, approaching double figures despite only playing a handful or games. At Ajax, he played in multiple attacking positions so became hot property in Europe due to his versatility.
His quick feet, agility and pace have really troubled defenders in the PL but he also is a goal threat from range and also in the box. His delivery from dead balls is excellent, but he may not be on many free kicks at West Ham. He can play as a centrally as a number 10 or a number 9 but he looks like he will play in a number of positions until the fate of Lucas Paqueta, another absolute baller at West Ham is determined. Wherever he plays for West Ham I am sure we will still see an absolute baller.
Wolverhampton Wanderers – Hwang Hee-chan
Hwang Hee-chin is a forward who plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He plays in a style similar to his compariot Son Heung-min but they main differences are he like to pick up the ball in deeper positions and has a greater range of passing, in particular the use of long diagonal balls in midfield . He still is effective in all areas of the final third and has fantastic technical ability, being able to dribble and shoot off either foot inside and outside the box.
Hee-chan possesses excellent ball control and dribbling ability, enabling him to weave through opposing defenses with ease. He can use his feints and close control to create space for himself and his teammates, opening up scoring opportunities. His dribbling skills also make him a threat on the counter-attack, as he can quickly break down the opposition’s backline and create dangerous scoring chances.
As well as his tremendous passing ability he can dribble with the ball in tight areas and likes to use tricks such as shoulder drops, nutmegs and chops. He is very agile and is comfortable in tight areas. What is very interesting about Hwang is how much commitment he has off the ball. He is aggressive in leading the press and likes to tackle players which most forwards tend not to do. However, it is his skill and trickery with a football that has him in our list of absolutely ballers.
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