Talented Soccer Star 2012 - Victor Wanyama, Kenyan footballer

Victor Mugabe Wanyama (born 25 June 1991) is a Kenyan footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or a centre back for Scottish Premier League side Celtic and the Kenya national team. Wanyama became the first ever Kenyan player to score in the UEFA Champions League when he scored the first goal in Celtic's historic 2-1 win over Barcelona on November 7th, 2012.

Wanyama comes from a very sporting family, his brother is Inter Milan midfielder McDonald Mariga currently on loan at Parma from Inter Milan, while other brothers Thomas and Sylvester Wanyama play for the 2009 Kenyan Premier League champions Sofapaka and club Sony Sugar respectively. His father Noah Wanyama was a footballer for AFC Leopards in the 1980s and his sister Mercy is a professional basketball player in Kenya. He is managed by ExtraTime and has a boot sponsorship deal with Nike.

Talented Soccer Star 2012 - Raheem Sterling, English footballer

Raheem Shaquille Sterling (born 8 December 1994) is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Liverpool and the English national team mainly as a winger. He began his youth career at Queens Park Rangers before signing for Liverpool in 2010. Sterling made his Premier League debut in the 2011–12 season. He represented England at under-16, under-17, under-19 and under-21 level before being capped at full level by the national side for the first time in November 2012.

Sterling grew up in the Maverley area of Kingston, Jamaica and was raised by his grandmother. At the age of five Sterling emigrated to London, England with his mother. Once arrived, he attended Copland High School in Wembley, North West London.

Talented Soccer Player 2012 - Paul Pogba, French footballer

Paul Labile Pogba (born 15 March 1993) is a French footballer who plays for Italian club Juventus in Serie A. Of Guinean descent, he operates primarily as a midfielder and is comfortable at playing both in attack and defence. Pogba was described by his former club Manchester United as a "powerful, skillful, and creative" player who has "an eye for goal and a penchant for the spectacular.

Pogba started his football career playing for local amateur clubs in Paris such as US Roissy-en-Brie and US Torcy before joining professional club Le Havre in 2007. He played for Le Havre for two years before venturing to England to join Manchester United in 2009. Pogba's transfer was subject to controversial debate as his former club accused the English club of tapping up the player. After three years with Manchester United, in which he made seven first-team appearances, in July 2012, he departed the club to join Juventus after his contract with the English club expired.

Pogba is a French youth international having represented his nation at all levels for which he has been eligible. With the under-16 team, he captained his nation to victories at the Aegean Cup and the Tournoi du Val-de-Marne and, at under-17 level, played at the 2010 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship.

Rising Soccer Player 2012 - Oscar, Brazilian footballer

Oscar dos Santos Emboaba Júnior (born 9 September 1991), commonly known as Oscar, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Chelsea and the Brazilian national team.

Oscar began his career at Sâo Paulo, where he won the Brazilian Serie A in 2008. In 2009, he went to court against the club due to irregularities in his contract. After a series of controversies he left for Internacional, where he spent the next three years of his career.

His displays for club and country caught the eye of Barclays Premier League clubs Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in 2012, and by the 9th July it appeared that Chelsea had won the race. About 2 weeks later Chelsea confirmed the deal, and Oscar was handed the number 11 shirt, following on from Chelsea legend Didier Drogba.

Oscar is a Brazil international and has represented his country at U-20 level, at the 2012 London Olympics and at senior level. On 20 August 2011, Oscar scored three goals in the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup final win against Portugal, becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in the FIFA U-20 World Cup final. Oscar later described his performances at the tournament as being a "gateway to the senior side". He earned his first cap for the national team against Argentina. His first goal also came against Argentina in a 3-4 defeat in June 2012.

His playing style and ability have drawn comparison to Brazil international Kaká and Germany international Mesut Özil.

Talented Soccer Player 2012 - Mario Götze, German footballer

Mario Götze (born 3 June 1992) is a German footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga and the German national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder, but is capable of operating as a right or left winger. Götze is considered to be an up-and-coming, potential world class player, possessing high speed, excellent technical and dribbling skill, play-making capabilities and spellbinding creativity. Former German Football Association's technical director Matthias Sammer reckons Götze as "one of the best talents that we've ever had".

Götze was born in Memmingen, Bavaria. His father Jürgen Götze is a renowned professor at the Dortmund University of Technology. His brother Fabian Götze currently plays for VfL Bochum II, having left Dortmund's youth system in 2010.

After ascending through several youth teams, Mario Götze was called up for his first senior match for Germany against Sweden, on 17 November 2010. He made his debut that day, coming on in the 78th minute in a goalless draw, substituting for his Dortmund teammate Kevin Großkreutz and becoming the youngest German international since Uwe Seeler. Götze and André Schürrle who came on simultaneously are the first two Germany players to be born in reunified Germany. He made his second appearance for the national team in a friendly match against Italy on 9 February 2011.

Götze's first goal for Germany was against Brazil on 10 August 2011; at 19 years and 68 days he became the joint-youngest goalscorer for the German national team in the post-war era along with Klaus Stürmer who scored on debut against France on 16 October 1954. Götze made his tournament debut in Euro 2012 after coming on as a substitute against Greece in the quarter-finals. 

Talented Soccer Player 2012 - Kevin Strootman, Dutch footballer

Kevin Strootman (born 13 February 1990) is a Dutch footballer. He primarily plays as a central midfielder.

Strootman began his career with VV Rijsoord and signed a youth contract for RJO Sparta Rotterdam in 2007.

Kevin Strootman made his international debut in the friendly against Austria on 9 February 2011, replacing Theo Janssen. The former coach of the national team, Bert van Marwijk, is known to be a great admirer of Strootman, stating his "vision" as one of his best assets. He scored his first international goal against Finland on 6 September 2011, and was included in the Dutch Euro 2012 squad.

 

 

Soccer Star - Marco Reus, German footballer

Marco Reus (German pronunciation: [ˈmaɐ̯koː ˈʁɔʏ̯s]; born 31 May 1989) is a German footballer who plays as a striker or winger for German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the German national team. He played and scored for Germany at UEFA Euro 2012. Reus is known for his versatility, speed and technique.

Reus spent his youth career at Borussia Dortmund, prior to leaving for Rot Weiss Ahlen. He has played for three club in his senior career, most notably, and with most influence, in Borussia Monchengladbach of the German Bundesliga. Reus's primary position is right winger; however, he is capable of playing on both flanks and through the middle, due to his ability to control the ball with both feet. 2012 was his most successful season when, scoring 18 and assisting 8, he helped Borussia Monchengladbach secure a place in the following season's UEFA Champions League. He agreed a move to his home club Borussia Dortmund at the end of that season. He will wear number 11, previously worn by Mario Götze.

Reus was born in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. He began to play football for his hometown club Post SV Dortmund in 1994 and joined the youth ranks of Borussia Dortmund in 1996. He played for Borussia Dortmund until he left for the U-19 of Rot Weiss Ahlen in the summer of 2006. During his first year there the attacking midfielder was featured in five games for the club's second team which played in the Westphalia league at the time. He scored a goal in each of his first two games. The following year he was able to break into Ahlen's first team which played in the German third division at the time. He started twice and was featured in 14 matches, scoring two times. One of his goals came on the last day of the season and helped his team being promoted to the 2. Bundesliga.

In 2008–09, the then 19 year old had his definitive breakthrough as a professional football player. He played in 27 games and scored four times. On 25 May 2009, he signed a four-year contract with Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach.

On 28 August 2009 Reus scored his first Bundesliga goal in a game against FSV Mainz after a 50m solo run, and since then became a prolific goalscorer for his club under Lucien Favre.

At the start of the 2011–12 season, Reus began the season in fine form scoring seven goals in twelve matches. Reus' contract with Gladbach was set to expire in 2015 and reportedly had a buy-out clause of €18 million.

On 4 January 2012, Reus signed with his former club Borussia Dortmund, for a transfer fee of €17.5 million, on a five year deal that will keep him at the club until July 2017. Reus rejoined Dortmund on 1 July 2012.

In August 2012, Reus scored a goal in a 2-1 win for Borussia Dortmund against Werder Bremen.

Soccer Star - Stephan El Shaarawy, Italian professional footballer

Stephan El Shaarawy (born 27 October 1992 in Savona, Italy) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Milan. He is a current member of the Italy U21 national team.

Born in Savona to an Egyptian father and an Italian mother, El Shaarawy joined regional Serie A club Genoa at the age of thirteen.

On 21 December 2008, when he was 16 years and 55 days old, he made his first team debut, playing ten minutes in a Serie A away match against Chievo, becoming the fourth youngest player in the history of Serie A. It was his only appearance of the season despite making the bench many times.

In June 2010 he was loaned out to Padova for the 2010–11 Serie B season. In his loan period at Padova, he quickly emerged as a key element for the team, leading the Venetian club to the promotion playoff finals where they then lost to Novara.

On 25 June 2011, El Shaarawy signed for Serie A giants Milan.

On the 18th September 2011, Stephan made his debut with Milan at the Stadio San Paolo in a 3-1 loss to Napoli in Serie A. Three days later, after coming on as a substitute for the injured Alexandre Pato, he scored his first goal for the club, earning his team a 1-1 draw at home against Udinese. In his first six months at Milan, he made a total of seven appearances (only 175 minutes of playing time) leading to reports in the media that he may be loaned out for more playing time to help his progression. However a decision was made between Galliani (the director of Milan), Allegri (the current coach) and himself to stay at the club for the near future. It was then that his performances for Milan began to improve and have led him to becoming one of the most highly rated youngsters in Italy.