London: From Ryan Giggs to Raheem Sterling, via Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney and Cesc Fabregas, the English Premier League has long been fertile breeding ground for up-and-coming talent. Here, we profile five young players for whom the 2014-15 campaign could provide a launchpad to stardom.


Luke Shaw. Pic/Getty Images

Luke Shaw (Manchester United):  After a fine season with Southampton that saw him dislodge Ashley Cole from the England squad, Shaw became the fourth most expensive defender in history when United paid an initial fee of £27 million ($45.6 million, 34 million euros) to take him to Old Trafford. New United manager Louis van Gaal's decision to introduce a 3-4-1-2 formation should suit the buccaneering 19-year-old, who will have sole responsibility for providing width on the left flank. "Luke is a very talented young left-back with great potential," said United assistant manager Giggs, the club's last great left-sided player. "He has developed immensely during his time at Southampton and has all the attributes to become a top player."

Kurt Zouma (Chelsea): Zouma, 19, signed for Chelsea from Saint-Etienne in January for a fee of around £12 million before being loaned back to his formative club until the end of the 2013-14 season. The tall, powerful centre-back has been given Chelsea's number five shirt by manager Jose Mourinho and scored his first goal for the club in a friendly against Slovenian side Olimpija Ljubljana last month. Although John Terry and Gary Cahill will start the campaign as first-choice centre-backs, Chelsea's commitments on four fronts mean that the France Under-21 international should get opportunities to impress. "Mourinho said to me, 'Are you ready?'" Zouma told Chelsea TV shortly after arriving in July. "I told him, 'Yeah, I'm ready.'"