NEXT GENERATION WAITING IN THE WINGS
- ccfcinsider
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Cardiff City have had several talents breakthrough in the last five years, starting with the initial crop such as Rubin Colwill, Isaak Davies, Ollie Denham, Kieron Evans to name a few, all the way through to the more recent ones like Dylan Lawlor, Joel Colwill and Ronan Kpakio.
The Bluebirds' academy is undoubtedly turning into a conveyer belt of talent. City have another generation of players quietly making an impact in the academy that could be the next group to burst onto the scene for Cardiff.
Robert Tankiewicz (16)
One of the more known and exciting prospects is Robert Tankiewicz. The 16 year-old has featured for the first team twice already, exciting fans in his cameo against Northampton Town. Tankiewicz is a composed central midfielder who helps control possession through intelligent positioning and reliable short passing under pressure. He combines strong work rate with tactical discipline, making him well suited to structured, possession-focused systems. The midfielder has been consistently training with the first team this season, and seems to be leading the next generation of talent for Cardiff City.
Axel Donczew (16)
The other most notable is Axel Donczew. The attacker broke Rob Tankiewicz's record, and became The Bluebirds' youngest ever player back in October, aged just 15. Donczew impressed in two Vertu Trophy cameos, with his direct and quick style of play. This earnt Donczew a place on the bench against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup Quarter Final. Brian Barry-Murphy has already described Donczew as a "brilliant player", with a clear pathway at City for Donczew, amid Newcastle interest. Donczew is more of a smooth, technical ball-carrier than an explosive dribbler, using close control and body positioning to evade pressure rather than relying on raw pace. Capable of playing as winger and an attacking midfielder, Donczew has already featured for Wales' U18's.
Jack Sykes (17)
Jack Sykes has already drawn interest from the likes of Celtic, Sunderland, Newcastle, Brighton and many others. If Cardiff can retain Sykes, they have a ready-made striker for years to come. Sykes is a physical centre-forward who plays on the shoulder of defenders, attacking the box aggressively and finishing quickly from central areas. He combines strong movement and aerial presence with high work rate off the ball, making him well suited to direct attacking play and high-press systems. The 17 year-old made his debut in the Vertu Trophy against Arsenal's U21's.
Mannie Barton (18)
Mannie Barton is an explosive winger who has been on fringes for a while, and has excited supporters ever since breaking into the U21's side. Barton is a direct, energetic winger who likes to attack defenders one-on-one using pace, quick feet, and aggressive running in wide areas. He also contributes defensively with strong pressing intensity and off-ball work rate, making him effective in fast transitions. The forward was awarded his first professional contract last summer, and is a regular in Wales' U19 side. The ceiling for Barton appears to be extremely high at this moment in time, having been spotted in first team training on occasions, Brian Barry-Murphy is the perfect Head Coach for Barton at this moment in time.
Paul Moreno (16)
Paul Moreno recorded Cardiff City's youngest ever league appearance last weekend. Moreno has been making strides all season, and has ended the season as a regular with the U21's. Moreno is a composed, technical midfielder who prefers to dictate possession through intelligent positioning and clean passing between the lines. He combines good defensive awareness with calm ball retention, making him well suited to structured, possession-oriented systems. The midfielder has impressed at youth level for Wales, also. Moreno contributed with three goals and three assists in Wales' U17's 11-0 victory over Liechtenstein. Another with an extremely high ceiling.
T-Jay Parfitt (18)
T-Jay Parfitt is another that caught the eye in the Vertu Trophy. The 18 year-old particularly impressed on his debut against Newport County, whilst also going onto feature against Arsenal's U21's and AFC Wimbledon. Parfitt is a versatile defender who can operate at both centre-back and left-back, using his athleticism and work rate to defend aggressively in wide and central areas. He is comfortable carrying the ball out from the back and supports possession play with composed distribution, while also having the mobility to recover quickly in transition. Parfitt is a physical presence capable of making that step up to senior football.
Nawaf Al-Shameri (14)
Nawaf Al-Shameri is already making strides in the football world, the exciting winger is the only current Cardiff City player contracted to Nike, with the 14 year-old tipped for big things. Al-Shameri is an exciting winger with a brilliant burst of pace and exceptional skill, with Al-Shameri already taking part in training with the City's U16 squad. Al-Shameri has impressed also for Wales' U15 side. Whilst it's extremely early days, Al-Shameri is showing all the signs of becoming a top winger.
Summary:
Whilst these are the most notable players who look bound to make an impact at first team level at the CCS, there are others in the Academy such as Jacob Norris, Noah Williams, Leo Papirnyk, Tiger Tobin, Thomas Prickett and many others making strides and showing clear quality in the ranks.
You also have the likes of Dakarai Mafico, Luey Giles, Troy Perrett and Jac Thomas all returning from first loans, that have sights set on big Cardiff City careers.
The current crop of talent coming through at Cardiff is almost unseen, with talent galore in the ranks, making the appointment of Brian Barry-Murphy last summer an even bigger coup, with the Irishman pretty much representing the saying, 'If you're good enough, you're old enough'. Real exciting times lay ahead.
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