Following on from the latest post which looked at the top scorers in the UEFA Youth League. This post will look at the players who have made the most appearances in the competition and how they have progressed.
The nature of the competition mean the players that have made the most games tend to be from clubs who are in the competition on a regular basis.
Pedro Alvaro (Benfica) – Out on his own with twenty eight appearances the twenty year old has still to make the breakthrough at Benfica. He has played on a fairly regular basis for Benfica B.
Diogo Costa (Porto) – One appearance behind, Swiss goalkeeper Costa made his first team debut in September 2019 in the Taca de Liga (League Cup) against CD Santa Clara. Two weeks later a league start followed in a deafeat at Boavista FC.
Timothy Eyoma (Tottenham Hotspur) – Currently on loan at Lincoln City, Timothy is comfortable at either centre back or full back. He made a first team appearance in January 2019 as a sub in the FA Cup Tie away to Tranmere Rovers.
Oscar Rodriguez (Real Madrid) – The attacking midfielder’s only top team appearance came in November 2017 against CF Fuenlabrada in the Copa del Rey. A successful two year loan spell at Leganes followed, top scorer in last season’s campaign that saw Leganes relegated. His performances were noted and Sevilla paid €13.5 million for his services in the summer.
Carles Perez (Barcelona) – Carles featured in the previous post as one of the tournament’s top scorers. Now at Roma following a €11 million transfer, he made thirteen top team appearances at Barcelona before the move to Italy.
.All the above players played in at least twenty four games, below are a few selected players who made between twenty and twenty-three appearances
There are two players that would be considered real successes. Shakhtor Donetsk’s Mytola Matviyenko, the defender made his debut in October 2015 and has gone on to make over a hundred appearances for the club.
Although Fode Toure never made the top team at PSG a couple of years at both Lille and Monaco sees him close in on a hundred Ligue One games.
There are a few players that have a link to British football, none more so than Calvin Miller (Celtic) who made twenty appearances in the competition. The former Rangers SABC player made a handful of first team appearances and had successful loan spells and Dundee and Ayr United. Left Celtic in the summer and has only just signed for Harrogate Town.
Winger Yakou Meite appeared in the competition for PSG on twenty-three occasions. He signed for Reading at the start of 2016/2017 season and is still at the Championship club.
Chelsea wing-back Ola Aina is another on twenty games. He made his Chelsea debut in 2016/17 season in a league cup game against Bristol Rovers, he spent the following season on loan at Hull City. In season 2018/19 he moved to Italy on loan at Torino, in July 2019 the Italian club triggered the option to buy for a reported £9 million. Changed his international allegiance from England to Nigeria and now has seventeen caps.
Another twenty appearance man Hildeberto Pereira has got around, no top team games at Benfica but a loan move to Nottigham Forrest in 2016/17 season. On leaving Benfica he joined Legia Warsaw but failed to become a regular and moved to Northampton Town on loan. Since then he returned to Portugal with Vitoria Setubal and is now playing in China with Kunshan.
A couple of clubs players feature heavily in the list. Six Real Madrid players are either still trying to break through at the club or have moved on. Victor Chust is a regular in the B team and Alberto Fernandez is on loan at UCAM Murcia. Miguel Baeza is still in La Liga with Celta Vigo, while Cristian Cedres and Aleix Febas have dropped to the Segunda Divison with Las Palmas and Real Mallorca respectively. Alex Martin has dropped further and is now at fourth tier FC Cartagena.
Porto are the other club that feature prominently and in Diogo Queiros they have a centre back on loan at Mouscron in Belgium who will still be hoping to be a Porto player. Primeira Liga side Portomonense SC have picked up both Paulo Estrela and Bruno Costa. Joao Cardoso is now at second tier Estoril. Midfielder Moreto Cassama has moved to French football and Reims in the top league.
Rangers Youths 
November 23, 2020 at 9:43 pm
He was only at Rangers very briefly, but did come from Rangers SABC. After successful loan spells at Dundee and Ayr United I thought he would have got a club at a better level than League 2, but maybe it reflects what Harrogate Town are actually paying.
November 23, 2020 at 5:15 pm
what happened to calvin miller?e was supposed to be one of the biggest talents in Scotland for years.
was at rangers and celtic.
harrogate?
wtf?