Nathan Ake: The Next Big Thing in English Football?

With Chelsea being linked with big-money moves in the transfer market on a daily basis this summer, writer Jake Beales-Hobson takes a look at one of Blues most gifted youngsters; Nathan Ake.

Already an Under-17 European Championship winner in 2011 and again as captain with The Netherlands in 2012, Nathan Ake at the age of just 18, knows exactly how to win. To add to his successful days as a youth prodigy, he also received a Europa League winning medal with the Chelsea squad after defeating Benfica 2-1, despite not featuring in any of Chelsea’s Europa League games. To add to his success, he also won Chelsea’s Young Player of the Year Award for the 2012-2013 season.

His success at such a young age has not gone unnoticed, he has been drafted into the U19 Holland Squad for this July’s European Championship Squad and I strongly believe he will impress and is my early tip for one of the players of the tournament.

Ake has been compared to his Chelsea team mate and Confederations cup holder David Luiz, and its not just the haircut they have in common. Both Luiz and Ake are very versatile players, with each being able to play as a centre back or could even be used as a holding midfielder, which, in my opinion may turn out to be the position that he will take up in future. With Ake standing at just 5ft11, he would be one of the premier leagues smallest centre backs. Despite this, He is naturally gifted, with quick feet and a strong mentality with the ability to get forward if the opportunity comes, which is another thing he and David Luiz have in common.

A regular in the Chelsea U21’s and also the Chelsea reserves side, he has had the opportunity to gain experience by playing alongside some of the greatest players in World Football such as Juan Mata, Frank Lampard, David Luiz and Ashley Cole. The youngster has had a number of training sessions with the first team and has even played in the Chelsea first team 3 times. He made his Premier League debut coming on as a second half substitute for Juan Mata against Norwich City on Boxing Day 2012, then at a tender age of just 17 years old. Since then, he has played 90 minutes in a fifth round FA Cup tie against Middlesborough, keeping a clean sheet as the Blues went on to win 2-0, and on the 19th May 2013, he played 90 minutes against Everton in his first ever game for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, helping them to a 2-1 victory.

The U19 European Championships will be a fantastic chance for Nathan Ake to show the world the potential he has, an up and coming talent that could really take the footballing world by storm in the next few years.

Thanks for reading and feel free to share your views on Nathan Ake in the comments section below.