So far this season, League One has seen a slew of fascinating new talents emerge, and the future seems bright.
It will be surprising if any of these ten players do not end up playing near the top of the Championship, or even the Premier League, in the future, and, hopefully, third-tier fans will be grateful for the opportunity to see them in their early stages of their careers.
It has been exceedingly tough to select a definitive top ten list of the greatest players aged 21 or younger in the third tier, but here is our attempt. This factored on the impact on a team as well as the number of games they’ve been trusted to play.
So, without further ado, here are the top ten young players to watch in League One this season.
10Patrick Kelly – Barnsley
Barnsley has had a number of young, impressive players this season under the tutelage of a young, aspiring manager in Conor Hourihane, so it’s no surprise that Patrick Kelly isn’t the only Tyke on the list.
The Irishman impressed on loan at Doncaster Rovers last season in League Two, but not enough to convince West Ham to keep him. Barnsley has ultimately benefited the most from this.
This season, the 20-year-old has featured in a variety of positions throughout the attacking midfield three at Oakwell, and Barnsley has one of the highest attacking returns in the division, despite having up to four games in hand on some of their opponents.
Kelly had an impressive debut season at the level, and he will be a player to watch in the future.
9Cameron Ashia – Huddersfield Town
Cameron Ashia has enjoyed a breakout season for Huddersfield Town this season, having previously played just one senior appearance for the Terriers in the EFL Trophy before 2025/26.
His starts have been restricted, preventing him from making significant progress up this list, but off the bench, there hasn’t been a better impact sub in League One this season.
His intensity and ability to get into shooting situations from wide areas have propelled him to near the top of the third tier in shots on target and goals per 90 figures this season, and many at the Accu Stadium are anxious to see what he can accomplish in the future.
They will hope it is for them, as Championship clubs have already expressed interest in the 20-year-old’s services.
8Jake Richards – Luton Town
Jake Richards made his League One debut just a month after turning 16, and now, little over two years later, he plays regularly for one of the division’s finest clubs, Luton Town.
The former Exeter City academy product has added goals to his game this season, scoring three times in just nine starts, and if it hadn’t been for an injury that kept him out of action for a couple of months in December and January, he’d probably have even more.
The 18-year-old has plenty of room to develop, and under Jack Wilshere, who had early success as a midfielder, he has a fantastic manager to help him reach his full potential.
7Ronan Kpakio – Cardiff City
Ronan Kpakio, 18, of Cardiff City, already has three senior caps for Wales and might make the World Cup if the Red Dragons make it through their play-off qualifying campaign in March.
If it doesn’t identify him as a young talent to watch in League One, nothing will. However, his great creative numbers from full-back will also help, as he has six assists and completes crosses at a rate that ranks him in the top 3% of all full-backs in the division.
If it weren’t for Joel Bagan and Perry Ng, the Welshman would undoubtedly have more games under his belt, and that’s likely what’s holding him from rising further up this list. However, he will undoubtedly be a first-choice player at Cardiff City Stadium in the coming years.
6Brad Hills — Stockport County
Brad Hills spent the second half of the season on loan at Stockport County last year, and he impressed so much that the majority of Hatters fans expected him to join Norwich City this season.
As a result, it was a pleasant surprise that they were able to bring him back permanently in the summer, and he’s been fantastic at the heart of the Stockport backline, winning battles, breaking up play, and playing out from the back as well.
The big centre-back won’t be 22 until March, so he only just makes our list as of writing, and Stockport will be aiming for promotion to avoid losing him to the Championship this summer.
5Jenson Metcalfe – Bradford City
Bobby Pointon turned 22 in January, therefore he doesn’t make the list. However, teammate midfielder Jenson Metcalfe does, and it’s easy to see why.
Like Kelly, the 21-year-old impressed on loan at Chesterfield in League Two last season. His sole goal contributions while at Paul Cook’s side came against Bradford City, and the Bantams thought that was a good enough audition to bring him to Valley Parade this season.
Playing alongside Max Power, one of the third tier’s most successful experienced heads, has done him a lot of good, and while it took the Everton academy graduate a little longer to break into the side, he’s made that midfield position his own in recent months.
And, by playing a little deeper, he’s been able to score a couple of worldies from outside the box, which is just as entertaining to watch.
4Omari Kellyman – Cardiff City
For the most part, I’ve attempted to avoid loan players, as they are likely to have a future in the Premier League or Championship, given that they are already under contract with one of those clubs.
However, it’s difficult not to notice the pure quality that Chelsea’s Omari Kellyman brings to the pitch every time he plays for Cardiff.
More recently, he’s added several goals to his game as Brian Barry-Murphy has turned to him up front in the absence of Yousef Salech, and given his goalscoring record in 2026, many have wondered if he could have been up there for golden boot conversations if he’d played in this role throughout the season.
The 20-year-old paid the Premier League club £19 million when they signed him from Aston Villa in 2024, and it’s easy to understand why. This will undoubtedly be his only season in the League. One in his career, assuming he remains fit.
3Amario Cozier-Duberry – Bolton Wanderers
Copy and paste about loan players on this list, but before his form slipped significantly, resulting in his injury, Bolton Wanderers’ Amario Cozier-Duberry was one of the greatest players not only in League One, but in the entire English Football League.
Six goals and six assists in the first 15 games put the 20-year-old Brighton loanee on course for player of the season honors as he led the Trotters to promotion.
Unfortunately for him and for Bolton, that appears to be fading, as Cozier-Duberry is not expected to return to training after a knee injury until the end of March.
But that doesn’t take away from his brilliance, which is easily enough to propel him to the top three of our list — and he’s also the final loanee we’ll discuss.
2Dom Ballard – Leyton Orient
Dom Ballard is near the top of League One’s goalscoring charts, having already scored multiple hat-tricks this season. At just 20 years old, how could he not be on this list?
The former Southampton prodigy had a goal-scoring record at the junior level, but loan spells at Reading, Blackpool, and Cambridge United didn’t work out.
Now, he’s found a home at Leyton Orient, and Richie Wellens’ side is fighting relegation, but it’s not because of Ballard’s goal-scoring struggles.
As a striker, he’s more than simply a poacher; he can move with the ball and create opportunities for others, and the 20-year-old clearly has the world at his feet, as well as Premier League potential.
However, there is one other who is slightly more amusing to watch.
1Reyes Cleary – Barnsley
The fact that Reyes Cleary was on the bench for the first two months of the season is insanity to consider, as the 21-year-old Barnsley wideman is by far and away the most entertaining on-ball player, possibly in the entire third tier, but certainly among those 21 and younger.
As a neutral, he’s fascinating to observe. Almost every time he gets the ball out on the left, you know he’s going full speed towards the goal, and it usually results in a chance.
He’s expected to finish at the top of League One’s assist lists this season, and he could score double-digit goals as well.
It’s been really impressive to see him week in and week out in the third tier, and there’s no doubt that the 21-year-old will be playing higher next season, with the possibility of breaking into the Premier League sooner rather than later.
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