Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Völler (l.) was on hand to honour Julian Brandt (2nd l.) and Levin Öztunali (2nd r.) for their efforts at the UEFA Under-19 European Championships
Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Völler (l.) was on hand to honour Julian Brandt (2nd l.) and Levin Öztunali (2nd r.) for their efforts at the UEFA Under-19 European Championships

Top 20 Under 20 - Part 3

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Munich - The summer of 2014 in German football was one for the history books, with the Nationalmannschaft lifting the FIFA World Cup just 18 days before Marcus Sorg’s Under-19s side were crowned European champions in Hungary. The national's game has reached new heights, and it's thanks in no small part to a thriving youth policy.

Dreams of reaching the pinnacle of the footballing profession often require several iterations to become reality. In Germany, though, where the likes of Julian Draxler can become the youngest player to break the 100-appearance barrier at the age of 20 years and 225 days, things work a little differently.

FC Schalke 04’s World Cup winner is but one example, as the Bundesliga is awash with highly coveted young talents. Over the course of this four-part series, bundesliga.com will cast an eye over the top 20 ‘Ones to Watch’ under the age of 20, listed in order of their Bundesliga appearances to date. It's a select group that includes familiar faces and unknown quantities in equal measure....

Top 20 Under 20:Part 1|Part 2