Man Utd target Arvin Appiah went from England Under-17s to Nottingham Forest first team before signing for Almeria for £8m
IT'S the lay of the land at the moment.
Talented British youngster shows promise at youth level before moving to a foreign climate for first-team opportunities.
Arvin Appiah, 18, who was being watched closely by Manchester United, is the latest.
He has made the brave decision to join Almeria after impressing for England's Under-17s at last summer's Euros, and breaking into the Nottingham Forest first team.
The reported £8m fee the La Liga 2 side paid, the biggest ever transfer fee in that division, shows how desperately the Spanish club wanted him.
And, if all goes well, Appiah could be facing Lionel Messi should his new side earn promotion to La Liga.
GOING DUTCH
Born in Holland to the son of Ghanaian parents, the tricky forward is blessed with strength, good close control and a deadly eye for goal.
Last season he broke into Nottingham Forest's first team, scoring on his debut in the Carabao Cup against Burton Albion in a 3-2 defeat.
It prompted then-manager Aitor Karanka to reveal: “Arvin is only 17 or 18 and he already looks like a man.
"He trains really well with us. Every single player is different and we will manage them in the best way we can.”
CONVEYOR BELT OF TALENT
Appiah is another star to have emerged from the Nigel Doughty Academy.
Over the years, the club has churned out talent including Jermaine Jenas, Michael Dawson and Marlon Harewood, who have gone on to play at the highest level.
Although the most recent, Oliver Burke, could offer a warning to Appiah in terms of too much too soon.
The Scottish winger moved to RB Leipzig when he was a teen for a reported £13m, but has so far failed to fulfil the promise expected of him since moving to West Brom.
Ironically, he's in Spain too - on-loan at Alaves trying to kickstart his career. But Appiah is on a different trajectory at the moment.
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
Prior to now he has learnt his trade playing for the under-18, under-19 and under-23 squads, helping the latter to reach the Professional Development League play-off final in 2018.
In a 2-0 win over BSC Young Boys at a tournament in Switzerland that same year, a wondergoal alerted the world to Appiah's talents.
A smattering of Forest appearances aside, it is with the Three Lions where Appiah, who is also eligible to play for Ghana through his parents, has really roared so far in his career.
He and the England team reached the semi-finals of the 2018 Under-17 European Championships before being defeated by eventual champions Holland on penalties after the game finished goalless.
But it was in the 2-1 group stage win over Italy where he stood out most, scoring a superb solo goal after running powerfully through midfield with the ball and unleashing a powerful strike from 20 yards out.
The goal backed up the view of Forest academy manager Gary Brazil who told fans pre-tournament to "remember the name…this lad is a real talent with a big future in the game.”
Not afraid to take players on and head goalwards, there is no shortage of confidence from Appiah.
But according to Forest legend Garry Birtles, it is patience and consistency he needs to work on if he wants to enjoy a similar rise to recent Tottenham-signing Ryan Sessegnon.
LATEST FOOTBALL FEATURES
He said: "You only have to look at the impact Ryan Sessegnon had at Fulham to see that if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. He’s been given regular game time and has thrived – and he’s the same age as Appiah.
"Everyone matures at different ages, though, so not everyone is ready to be a first-team regular at the same time.
"Consistency is the magic word, too. You need that at any age. The best players don’t get better, they get more consistent – that’s something young lads need to remember.”