10 Early Favourites For World Cup 2018 Best Young Player Award

In recent years, Belgium seem to be developing an awful lot of talent, and 21-year-old midfielder Youri Tielemans is the latest hot prospect for the nation currently ranked third best in the world. Last May, Tielemans made a big money move to French champions Monaco and appeared 24 times in Ligue 1.

He failed to score a goal in the league but did net in the Champions League and was used in more of a defensive role than he'd been accustomed to at his former club, Anderlecht. Strong and quick, Tielemans is surprisingly effective in the air despite not being a particularly tall player and has done enough to impress Roberto Martinez and earn his spot in Russia.

His stats haven't been too eye-catching at Monaco, but he scored 13 league goals in his final season at Anderlecht and is widely-regarded as one of the next big things for Belgian fans to look forward to. With talented midfielders like Mousa Dembélé and Kevin De Bruyne ahead of him in the pecking order, Tielemans might struggle for game time at the World Cup, but if he manages to get on the pitch and show off what he can do, he could certainly play a part in Belgium's campaign.