As a manager, there's no greater excitement than discovering a prospect in the youth ranks, a talent that has all the potential to make a real difference in the first team for years to come.

The opportunities these starlets can provide are certainly exciting, but they bring with them certain pressures. There have been countless examples across world football of players showing promise at an early age before stuttering in later years. What's the difference between those that make it and those that fall off? There are many factors, but what is always present and consistent is that those who flourished all had the correct management, system and environment in place to allow them to shine.

The Bundesliga is the home of young talent, both the birthplace and adopted home of young stars and wonderkids. What do these players need? How can clubs ensure they become superstars?

bundesliga.com asked the experts at Football Manager to break down the keys to unlocking a wonderkid's full potential in Football Manager 2020.

Click here to read about a NextGen wonderkid from every Bundesliga club!

As we are seeing with Joshua Zirkzee (l.) and Hansi Flick (r.) at Bayern Munich, developing talent is vital for a young player. - Football Manager 2020

1) Assess

It seems simple, but assessing a promising player is a crucial step. Flaws that are missed at an early age may never be corrected and the player's game will remain incomplete.

It's vital to acknowledge the player's strengths while outlining how to correct weaknesses. Young players certainly have a favoured position, but it's in these important years (16-19) that the player begins to develop a role and it's up to the manager to discover that role and see how it should fit within a tactic, both in the short and longer term. A defensive full-back won't thrive in an attacking 3-5-2 formation; if he's sharp enough a good manager will adjust.

Gio Reyna already has impressive numbers for natural fitness, off the ball and work rate. - Football Manager 2020

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2) A place in the first-team squad

We're not saying a talent should be thrown straight into a starting XI but it's important that they're thought of, and the manager and his backroom staff can envisage where they'll slot in, who they'll deputise for and where their minutes will come from.

For example, a popular slot for a young centre back will be the fourth or fifth choice selection. It's also common for a promising striker to play third or fourth choice and get minutes off the bench.

Whatever position, it's important that they are in the back of a coach's mind, however small their involvement may be. This means that when transfer windows roll around, the club isn't interested in blocking the prospect with another signing in that area. This often happens in modern football, with clubs looking for fast, short-term success.

Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Müller may have reached their potential for Bayerm, but Serge Gnabry and - to a greater degree - Zirkzee - still have some way to go. - Football Manager 2020

Young talents need to be in and around the first team squad - this will help with those important mental attributes and personality traits. Hopefully, this will lead to the starlet having an increasing role in the overall team dynamic.

3) Minutes…

A promising player can never develop without time on the pitch; they need to be trusted in small doses to deliver for the team. The key is to build game time in stages. Minutes off the bench in secure environments turn into cup starts which turn into important minutes in league ties until they can be fully trusted to start big matches. Throwing a young player in at the deep end can be detrimental to their progress, sending them back to square one in terms of development. They need to be allowed to make mistakes, with personal interaction from a coach along the way.

Josh Sargent has already been moving through the gears as a Werder Bremen player. - Football Manager 2020

4) Monitoring and mentoring

Exposure to game time brings quicker development than day-to-day training or reserve/youth games. Clubs need to have supervision of training reports and improvements so wonderkids can continuously be steered in the right direction to become the player they need to be, refreshing individual training as often as possible so they don't get complacent. Keeping a player grounded is just as important as getting them into the first team.

Determination and other mental stats play a key role in their make-up. This is where a good coach leans on his older, more influential players for guidance within the team dynamic and hierarchy. The wonderkid could even be mentored one-to-one by a teammate in a similar position, to ensure their unique attributes are being developed while they're learning from experience.

Bayer Leverkusen have a track record of tailoring their training to the needs of young players. - Football Manager 2020

5) Trust

Then comes the time to trust the wonderkid in the first team, for the majority of games. It's time to make the change and clear the pathway. Investing in young talent allows any club to reap the rewards. This doesn't mean the game is over, there will be ups and downs within the first team environment, but their foot is firmly in the door and they've got the chance you've both been working hard to produce.

The story doesn't end here

The player must continue to work hard even after earning his chance and being rewarded with a spot in the starting line-up. It's then about keeping it, about becoming indispensable to the club and relied upon by his teammates; about becoming the go-to man in clutch scenarios – and delivering.

The story doesn't end here for clubs either, they can't rest on their laurels no matter how talented their new star is. The nature of the modern game means that teams are always looking for that next thing, that next wonderkid who can begin treading those steps all over again.