Liverpool’s Gomez and Alexander are exceptions as Premier League shuns U21 talents

November 13 – Germany’s Bundesliga and France’s Ligue1 clubs give almost three time more playing time to under 21 players than English Premier League teams.

“Overall, footballers born on or after 1st of January 1997 have played 15.4% of total domestic league minutes in the French Ligue 1, 14.7% in the German Bundesliga, 9.8% in the Italian Serie A, 6.1% in the Spanish Liga, 5.3% in the English Premier League and a mere 5.0% in the Portuguese Primeira Liga,” says a report from the CIES  Football Observatory.

Eleven players have played 100% of the minutes for their club – three in the Bundesliga. Among them are Wolves’ Rúben Neves.

Notable among the rankings is the lack of Europe’s biggest club’s, though Liverpool is a notable exception with Joe Gomez having played 85% and Trent Alexander-Arnold 82% of the club’s league games so far this season.

“Up to six goalkeepers are to be found in the top 10 rankings: Emil Audero (Sampdoria), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Paul Bernardoni (Nîmes Olympique), Florian Müller (Mainz), Alban Lafont (Fiorentina) and Unai Simón (Athletic Club). With four representatives, FSV Mainz is the most represented club overall: Aarón Martín, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Florian Müller and Ridle Baku,” finds the report.

See the full report at http://www.football-observatory.com/IMG/sites/b5wp/2018/240/en/

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