Six Players to Watch at the Under-20 World Cup

Jese Rodriguez - Spain - Real Madrid

Jese is considered one of the most exciting talents in Spain and has already enjoyed huge success at international level having been part of the Under-17 side that finished runners-up in a European Championship in 2010 and then finishing as top scorer for the Under-19s as they won the Euro's last summer. The winger has progressed through the Real Madrid youth system and has even drawn comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo for his style of play. Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane is a known admirer of the winger who scored 22 goals in 38 appearances for the Real Madrid B team last season. The 20 year old has started the World Cup brightly by scoring two goals and combining superbly well with Barcelona's own young superstar Gerard Deulofeu. Like Ronaldo he prefers to come in from wide areas as he uses his pace and skill to beat defenders and get his shot away. An incredibly skilful player he has been linked with Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City but it is unlikely Madrid will allow him to leave any time soon.

Geoffrey Kondogbia - France - Sevilla

The powerful French midfielder is a man in demand. After just one season at Sevilla he has been linked with Real Madrid, Arsenal and Chelsea. A hugely powerful player who came through the Lens youth academy, Kondogbia will form an impressive central midfield partnership with former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba. In France's first game the Sevilla star scored one and made another in an all action display that helped they claim a 3-1 victory over Ghana. Despite being thought of as a defensive midfielder, he can influence games further forward and is vital to France's efforts. Coach Pierre Mankowski summed up his ability by declaring "when he is good on the pitch, the team is good". Should he excel in the remainder of the tournament it may well be difficult for Sevilla to hold on to their great young talent.

Guillermo Varela - Uruguay - Manchester United

Despite playing less than 10 professional matches, Varela has already made some headlines this summer when it was announced that he would be joining Manchester United. Unlikely to be known to even the most ardent supporter, the right back was recruited after a string of impressive performances in helping Uruguay qualify for the Under-20 World Cup. He played in Uruguay's 1-0 loss to Croatia in their opening game in Turkey, and despite the defeat showed a willingness to get forward and good ability on the ball. A similar defender to current Manchester United right-back Raphael, Varela is comfortable with the ball at his lap and is known for his explosive overlapping runs. Most likely to be used as an understudy to the Brazilian, the 20 year old will hope to make an impact at the World Cup in order to prove to new United boss David Moyes that he can compete with Raphael.

Tiago Ilori - Portugal - Sporting Lisbon

The central defender will be of particular interest to Liverpool fans after being continually linked with a move to Anfield in recent weeks. The 20 year old is a product of the impressive Sporting Lisbon academy and last season demonstrated his quality as he forced his way into the first team at the start of the year and went on to make 11 league appearances. Despite being born in London, Illori has been raised in Portugal and has represented the country at various youth levels. He made 15 appearances for the Under-19 side and has already had a taste of European football having played for Sporting in the Europa League last season. Good in the air, quick and classy on the ball, he has been likened to PSG centre-back Thiago Silva thanks to his slight build but tall 6ft 3" frame. Another major plus is his pace, with reports suggesting he has posted quicker times that former Sporting graduates Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani.

Gerard Deulofeu - Spain - Barcelona

While his Spanish teammate Jese has to deal with comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo, spare a thought for Deulofeu who has been handed the tag of the 'Spanish Messi'. The winger joined the famous La Masia academy aged just nine and has quickly progressed through the various youth teams to make his Barcelona debut on October 29, 2012. Another player who excels with the ball at his feet, committing defenders and often beating them with a mixture of sublime skill and a turn of pace, Deulofeu has starred for Spain at various youth levels. He has twice won the European Under-19 Championships and was named the best player at the tournament in 2012. Like his close friend Jese he has already announced his arrival at the World Cup by scoring two goals in the 4-1 win over USA. With bags of natural ability his only real challenge will be becoming a regular in a Barcelona side which already has so much home grown talent. However, should be continue to excel for Spain then it will not be long before Tito Vilanova is forced to hand him a chance.

James Ward-Prowse - Southampton - England

Following in the footsteps on Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ward-Prowse is the latest player to emerge from the Southampton academy. Unlike his former graduates he remains at St. Mary's and is hoping to be a big part of a successful future under Mauricio Pochettino. An elegant central midfielder he made his debut for Southampton back in October 2011 and has already made 14 appearances in the Premier League. The Saints are determined not to lose another of their prospects and have tied him down to a five year contract which he signed in November last year. While there has been plenty of talk about left-back Luke Shaw it was actually Ward-Prowse who won Southampton's Young Player of the Season award. Despite being relatively short in stature at 5ft 8" he can control games with his superb range of passing and assured touch. He has already featured in the disappointing 2-2 draw with Iraq but England boss Peter Taylor will hope he can have more of a grip on their next game against Chile on Wednesday.