Ajax remain the most prolific producers of young talent

Ever since the days of Johan Cruyff’s all-conquering Ajax side of the 1970s, the Dutch club has always been known as one of the most successful producers of young talent in the world.


According to new statistics released this week by Switzerland-based Centre international d’étude du sport’s (CIES) Football Observatory, that reputation is well deserved. Ajax tops the list of clubs that have trained the most footballers playing in highest tier of Europe’s 31 best leagues with a staggering 77 – three ahead of their nearest rivals Partizan Belgrade of Serbia.



Based on clubs where players have been trained for at least three seasons between the ages of 15 and 21, Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy came in third place with 57, while the remainder of the top five is completed by Dynamo Zagreb of Croatia and Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk.

The top 100 list does not make pretty reading for English clubs, however. Manchester United are the Premier League’s highest representatives in 18th place having trained 39 players who are currently active, with Arsenal 28th with 33 players and Manchester City the only other English club to make it down in 73rd



Those numbers are seriously affected by the fact that the list does not include players who have gone on to have careers lower down the English football pyramid. But the figures nonetheless shows the limited number of opportunities being afforded to young English players at the highest level.

Chelsea, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Newcastle and Southampton do appear in the top 200 but there are a number of Premier League clubs who have produced less than five active players, including Burnley with just two and QPR with four.



France has the most clubs represented in the top 100, with 15 from Ligue 1 on the list. Spain and Holland are next with eight apiece, followed by Serbia and Belgium on six each.

But there is one crumb of comfort for young English players: current World Cup holders Germany also trailed in way down the list, with only Bayern Munich and Stuttgart making the top 100.



By Ed Aarons, Guardian