PES 2012 – Best Young Players/Wonderkids [Guide]

Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 is the new installment of the PES series developed and released by Konami. This article lists down the top ten best players aged 22 or under* that can be used in the game, whilst statistics such as rankings, special skills, and weaknesses are also displayed.

Gareth Bale – Tottenham Hotspur
Age – 22
League – English League
Nationality – Wales

This Welsh powerhouse is the top ranked player in his age group. A great offensive threat primarily from the left, Bale plays both left back and left wing positions. Blessed with great speed and very satisfactory dribbling and passing skills, the Tottenham man has established himself as a superstar at a very young age. Bale also has a great height and strength advantage as well, as combined with his ball handling skills, makes him a great all around player on both the offensive and defensive.

Mesut Ozil – Real Madrid
Age – 22
League – Liga BBVA
Nationality – Germany

An attacking midfielder, Ozil ranks among the highest with regards to dribbling skills, as well as short pass accuracy. The German player also ranks high in teamwork, capable of providing prevision passes to open teammates for the goal. Ozil’s intense dribbling skills make him perfect for cutting through and drawing the defense towards him. A great attacker, Mesut Ozil is a definite threat in the midfield with his accurate mid range shots and great passing skill.

Neymar – Santos
Age – 19
League – Copa Santander Libertadores
Nationality – Brazil

Dribbling and explosiveness are the best traits that this Brazilian wonderkid possesses. Neymar is known for his great attack skills and shooting accuracy, as well as his ability to control the ball with great precision, combining feint moves and fancy dribbling to avoid defenders. One of the youngest players in this list, Neymar has been compared to Brazilian legend Pele due to their similar style of play and great finishing capability.

Franck Tabanou – Toulousse
Age – 22
League – Ligue 1
Nationality – France

This French footballer plays both the left back and left wing positions on the field. Although not excelling in any statistical criteria, Tabanou has above average stats in almost all areas, especially with regards to shooting and long passes. Tabanou also ranks high in stamina and teamwork, making him a great all-round player that can contribute significantly, yet silently all throughout the game. Tabanou also possesses a great range of skills and styles that gamers can mix and max according to their liking.

Mats Hummels – Free Agent
Age – 22
League – N/A
Nationality – Germany

This German Center Back provides solid defensive skills against the opponent’s attacking threats. He has good height, balance, and stamina that suits his position well. Hummels also possesses great tenacity and responsiveness, making him a great defender even against those with exceptional dribbling and ball handling skills. Possessing good passing skills as well, Hummels is a good player to have on your team, although his record of previous injuries may leave something to be desired.

Alexis Sanchez – FC Barcelona
Age – 22
League – Liga BBVA
Nationality – Chile

Sanchez bears the title as the youngest player to ever play for his national squad, and for obvious reasons. This secondary striker has amazing speed and explosiveness, and he possesses great attacking skills, qualities that make him great from all attacking positions. Sanchez also has good stats all over, and his various slashing and feinting skills makes for great opportunities to create opportunities for either himself or his team mates.

Javier Pastore – Paris Saint-Germain
Age – 22
League – Ligue 1
Nationality – Argentina

This Argentinian attacking midfielder possesses good ball control and accurate passing skills, both for long and short distances. Combine this with a good sense of his teammates on the field and you have a player that can really bring the offense forward as its pivot. Though lacking in defensive skills, Pastore’s great offensive prowess and playmaking abilities make him a great addition to your team.

Alexandre Pato – A.C. Milan
Age – 22
League – Italian League
Nationality – Brazil

Alexandre Pato plays in the center of attack, which is absolutely perfect for this Brazilian offensive machine. Ranked as one of the best scorers in any age group, Pato is capable of making great runs with intense ball handling and dribbling speed. With the aid of intense explosiveness and an amazing attack prowess, Pato will be a considerable force on the attacking side of the field. However, Pato may be considered to be injury prone, so select him at your risk.

Eden Hazard – LOSC Lille Metropole
Age – 20
League – Ligue 1
Nationality – Belgium

Eden Hazard possesses decent stats all over, though his greatest asset is his keen eye for a scoring opportunity, whether for himself or his teammates. The Belgian-born left midfielder possesses good responsiveness, explosive speed, and dribbling capabilities with a variety of skills and feints available that would surely confuse and divide the defense for a better chance of a goal. Hazard is a well rounded player that can cover the flanks as good as any other.

Kieran Gibbs – North London
Age – 22
League – English League
Nationality – England

Gibbs is a solid defender at the rear end of the field, making him a viable threat to would be scorers and strikers. Although falling a bit short with regards to other statistics, this English footballer possesses amazing speed making him hard to lose during offensive blitzes. Once stops are made, Gibbs also has decent passing accuracy and ability, making him a great initiator of his team’s offensive attempt. For a more attacking oriented team, Gibbs should definitely be one of your top choices.

Phil Jones – Manchester United
Age – 19
League – English League
Nationality – England

At Center Back, Phil Jones possesses all the qualities of a great defender. With good tenacity and responsiveness, Jones can be one of your most valuable players on the defensive end. He also has decent speed and high stamina, making him optimally playable even at long stretches of the game. The English player is capable of providing great stops as well as having a good passing ability. Jones is hands down one of the best young defenders in the league.

These are the best young players that you may choose for your team in PES 2012. With such skills and statistics bestowed upon them at such an early age, they are definitely the footballers that gamers and football fans must surely watch out for.

*Players’ ages at the time the game was developed are displayed.