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The FIFA 18 Championship wonderkid XI
The best Career Mode youngsters in the EFL Championship.
The second tier of English football is packed with talented youngsters who have the potential to excel at the highest level. In FIFA 18's Career Mode, discovering these players is crucial to help boost your chances of success over a 15-year campaign.
You can sign some of the Championship's top young talent for minimal fees, helping to line your squad with a set of future world beaters. But just who are they? We've scouted out a best XI of wonderkids you'll definitely want to get your hands on in FIFA 18.
Goalkeeper: Joe Wildsmith
Joe Wildsmith has made a few appearances for Wednesday this season
© EA
This 21 year-old Sheffield Wednesday keeper recently signed a five-year contract with the Owls, and has already made numerous appearances this season. Wildsmith has a mediocre 64 overall rating in FIFA 18, but sign him up in Career Mode, and he has the ability to reach the 78 mark in time. His £725k valuation makes him a low-cost signing if you're in need of a young talent between the sticks.
Defender: Ryan Sessegnon
It feels like Ryan Sessegnon has been on the scene for years. He's actually only 17, but has long commanded a starting berth in the Fulham team. He also finished as the joint top-scorer as England won the Euro U19 Championships. Sessegnon's 67 overall rating in FIFA 18 can blossom to an 85 with the right development, making him a superb acquisition for any Premier League outfit.
Defender: Dael Fry
Middlesbrough defender Dael Fry also won silverware with England this year, featuring in the U20 World Cup back in June. Like Sessegnon, Fry has the potential to reach a rating of 85 in FIFA 18, making him one of England's top centre-backs of the future. He's valued at £1.5m in-game, and you'll be looking at spending around £1.6m to £2.3m to bring him on board – a worthy asking price for a potentially outstanding player.
Defender: Joe Worrall
£2m is a fair offer for Joe Worrall
© EA
20-year-old Joe Worrall captained England to victory in the 2017 Toulon Tournament earlier this year, and was named in the best XI of players at the event. A product of the Nottingham Forest youth academy, Worrall is equipped with superb strength, jumping and standing tackle stats in-game, and has the potential to boost his 69 overall rating to an 82 in seasons to come. You'll get him for around £2m in Career Mode.
Defender: Rico Henry
Young Rico Henry was part of England's U20 squad at the Four Nations Tournament back in April, but missed out on the World Cup due to injury. The Brentford left-back is known for his blistering pace, replicated in FIFA 18 with a set of 93 acceleration and 90 sprint speed attributes. Beginning Career Mode with an overall of 68, Rico can eventually develop into an 84-rated defender, making him an outstanding prospect for Premier League sides.
Midfielder: André Green
Need to add pace to your side? Sign Villa's André Green
© EA
Sporting 83 sprint speed, 80 acceleration and 75 agility stats, 19-year-old André Green boasts an array of top traits in FIFA 18. With a £1.6m valuation, Green is another player who can be snapped up relatively cheaply and, with perseverence, his rating will settle around the 84 mark. The Aston Villa winger is currently recovering from a hamstring injury in real life, but isn't affected by this in-game.
Midfielder: Rúben Neves
Wolves' Rúben Neves is the ultimate Championship wonderkid. The Portuguese international boasts a healthy 77 overall rating from the off, and can develop into an 86-rated player in future seasons. The Ex-Porto midfielder has already played a big part in propelling the West Midlands side up the league, but he is by far the most expensive potential signing on this list.
Midfielder: Andre Dozzell
Andre Dozzell could be as good as his Dad, Ipswich legend Jason Dozzell
© EA
Promising 18 year-old Dozzell is another who is out of action in real life – the result of a torn cruciate ligament injury suffered earlier in the season. You can still benefit from his ability in FIFA 18 though, with the young Englishman reaching a potential rating of 84 if you're lucky. Like Sessegnon, Andre Dozzell featured as part of England U19s European Championship-winning side earlier this year.
Midfielder: Marcus Tavernier
Although 18 year-old Marcus Tavernier has only featured a handful of times for Middlesbrough so far, EA Sports clearly expects big things from the youngster. The midfielder, who has already appeared at U19 level for England, has incredible potential in FIFA 18, with the ability to reach an 86 overall rating in future years. He starts off at just 62, but he's certainly worth investing in if you can pry him away from the Riverside.
Striker: Ben Brereton
Our third and final entry from the 2017 Euro U19 Championship is Nottingham Forest forward Ben Brereton. He, together with Ryan Sessegnon, finished as joint top-scorer at the competition, but has yet to find the net for his club side so far this season. Brereton is the perfect young striker in FIFA 18 – cheap, fast and packed with bags of potential. Take advantage of his 88 acceleration and 85 sprint speed to cause havoc up front.
Striker: Ollie Watkins
Ollie Watkins is the EFL's young player of the year
© EA
21-year-old Ollie Watkins made quite the name for himself at Exeter, scoring 26 goals and winning the EFL Young Player of the Year award during his time with The Grecians. He's since moved to Championship side Brentford where he's become a regular in the side, scoring seven goals in all competitions so far this season. Starting with an overall rating of 71 in FIFA 18, this can rise to an 84 if he continues to impress.
