In recent years, the role of the full-back has become crucial in both the offensive and defensive aspects of the game. 

Offensively, a full-back plays a key role in supporting the team’s attack. They often provide explosive overlapping runs down the flanks to provide width to the team’s attacking play. By doing so, they create additional options for wingers and midfielders, contributing to the overall attacking strategy.

Defensively, full-backs are essential in preventing the opposing team from attacking down the wings. They often find themselves in one-on-one situations with opposing wingers, requiring a combination of speed, agility, and tactical awareness to defend successfully. Additionally, full-backs play a vital role in transitioning from defence to offence by initiating counterattacks through quick and precise distribution.

Of course, one iconic figure is Roberto Carlos, renowned for his explosive speed, powerful shots, and exceptional attacking contributions. Carlos played a pivotal role in Brazil’s 2002 World Cup triumph and had a distinguished club career, most notably with Real Madrid.

Players like Andrew Robertson of Liverpool and Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Munich exemplify the modern full-back, seamlessly blending defensive solidity with dynamic attacking contributions. Moreover, we often see Trent Alexander-Arnold making inverted movements into midfield to utilise his extensive passing range and demonstrate the evolution of the role.

In this tactical analysis and scout report, we will focus on players who are under 17 (born 2007-2008) and scour Europe’s youth leagues to find the most exciting full-backs who have impressed in 2023. We will analyse what each player brings to their respective team’s tactics and why we think they are the ones to watch.

Ashqar Ahmed – Right Back – Reading F.C.

The first port of call in this analysis is Reading’s academy to look at 16-year-old right back Ashqar Ahmed. The young full-back has put in some impressive performances at U18 level throughout 2023.

The example above exemplifies why Ahmed is such a useful player for Reading U18s. He can successfully regain possession in the defensive third, which allows the team to transition from defence to offence quickly. Here, Ahmed is in the defensive structure and reads the play well, moving across to close down the opposition player.

Upon intercepting the ball, Ahmed plays it to his teammate and continues his run forward, making himself available as a passing outlet down the right flank. This quick turnaround catches the opposing team off guard, preventing them from organising their defensive shape. The young full-back’s ability to win the ball back efficiently becomes a catalyst for counterattacks, enabling Reading to exploit spaces left open by the retreating opposition.

Secondly, the forward runs made by Ahmed contribute significantly to the team’s attacking options. He stretches the opposition’s defence by pushing into vacant spaces along the right flank or through the centre, creating gaps and opportunities for teammates. This movement not only provides an additional outlet for the team in possession but also forces the opposing defenders to make decisions, opening up channels for other Reading attackers to exploit.

Ahmed showcases some outstanding passing abilities in his performances. He averages 13 forward passes per 90 with an accuracy rating of 77%. We can see here that when he regains possession, his first thought is to be positive with it. On this occasion, he looks for his teammate’s run and plays a forward pass into his path, enabling Reading to transition from defence to attack quickly.

His passing skills can also become a valuable link between the defensive and midfield units. In the build-up phase, Ahmed will get into positions where Reading will look to him to distribute the ball accurately to initiate attacking plays. Good passing ability allows him to contribute seamlessly to the team’s possession game, ensuring smooth transitions from defence to midfield and attack, therefore facilitating the progression of the ball up the field.

Moreover, Ahmed contributes very well to the team’s attacking strategy by delivering precise crosses into the box. The 16-year-old averages 1.85 crosses into the box per 90. We can see here that he is more than capable of carrying the ball forward and using his strength to prevent the defender from regaining possession.

Ahmed plays in a low cross to his teammate, who places a controlled shot into the bottom corner. This offensive dimension of his style adds an extra layer of unpredictability to the team’s play and makes the young full-back a versatile asset.

Ashqar Ahmed’s physical profile goes a long way to ensuring he is a capable defender. The young full-back averages 1.69 aerial duels and 1.54 ground duels per 90. He is very proactive in his defensive actions and likes to step in to put opponents under pressure as soon as they receive the ball.

His speed is very important as Ahmed is often relied upon to make recovery runs when opponents are looking to hit Reading on the counter, as we can see above. While he can track back well, Ahmed struggles against stronger opponents as he cannot always get his body into a good position to make an interception. This is part of the reason why his 2.8 recoveries per 90 are below average.

Ibrahima Soumah – Right Back – FC Mantois 78

To look at this next player, we are heading to France. 16-year-old Ibrahima Soumah has put in some impressive individual performances in the U17 National throughout 2023.

So often, we see defenders getting too tight to their opponent, which leads to issues such as the opposition player having the opportunity to spin and run in behind the defensive line. Soumah opts to maintain his distance, trusting that his reading of the game and positioning will allow him to make important defensive actions.

Maintaining a moderate distance while marking allows Soumah to anticipate and intercept passes more effectively. In the example above, he reads the game intelligently and adjusts his position accordingly to intercept the pass. Soumah averages 5.2 ball recoveries per 90, primarily due to his in-game intelligence. If a defender marks an opponent too tightly, they risk being easily bypassed with a quick change of direction or a clever turn. By keeping a reasonable distance, Soumah has the space to read the game and react swiftly to the opponent’s movements.

Furthermore, no one can question Soumah’s commitment to defending and willingness to put his body on the line to make blocks and clearances in the penalty area. In this scenario, he recognises the danger and takes defensive action to ensure the opponent is under sufficient pressure to struggle to get his shot on target. The young full-back’s ability to make timely blocks demonstrates his determination to defend his team’s goal and disrupt the rhythm of the opposition’s attack.

Plus, last-ditch blocks, such as the one above, serve as a final line of defence when other defensive measures have been breached. When attackers reach the penalty area, the Soumah can be relied upon to act as the last resort to impede the progress of the ball towards the goal. His ability to make blocks at this stage is often the difference between conceding a goal and maintaining a resilient defensive stance.

Soumah is adept with the ball at his feet and consistently looks to carry possession down the right flank, providing an additional attacking dimension to the team’s play. By advancing into the opponent’s half, he forces the opposition to defend deeper, creating space in the central areas for other attacking players. He is very composed and carries the ball at speed, beating opponents in 1v1 situations as we can see above.

In such scenarios, Soumah uses quick changes of direction and individual skill as he executes 3.8 take-ons per 90 and looks to bypass opponents and progress down the flank. His flair adds creativity to the team’s play and puts pressure on the opposition’s defence by creating opportunities for crosses, of which he averages 2.5 per 90.

Additionally, he is a very progressive player in terms of his passing abilities. The Ginuea under-16 international averages 22 forward passes per 90 as he looks to be a creative outlet for his team. He is also not afraid to take long-distance shots on, averaging 0.63 from outside the area per 90 and as a result, Soumah has scored a couple of impressive long-range efforts in 2023.

Jake Drennan – Left Back – Glentoran F.C.

Now, we will turn our attention to 15-year-old left-back Jake Drennan. He has found himself playing at Under 15, 16 and 18 levels throughout 2023 and looked equally at home in every age group.

Drennan is a very technically gifted player who possesses excellent close control and the ability to evade opponents with his subtle movements and intelligent decisions when in possession. In the sequence shown above, Drennan controls the long pass and uses his individual skill to ensure the two opposition players cannot dispossess him.

The Glentoran left-back’s technical proficiency allows him to participate in the team’s attacking plays actively. Consequently, Drennan executes 1.16 take-ons per 90 and delivers 2.1 crosses into the box per 90. These offensive contributions add an extra dimension to the team’s play, making Drennan a versatile asset in the attacking phase.

Furthermore, Drennan can navigate tight spaces in the defensive third. When the pressure from opposing attackers is intense, he can skillfully manoeuvre out of challenging situations. This not only helps in retaining possession but also initiates effective build-up play from deep areas.

Drennan constantly looks to make things happen for his team in an attacking sense. As we can see, he likes to play long passes for attackers to run onto as they try to get in behind the opposition’s defensive line. The attacker is pointing where he wants the ball to be played, and Drennan duly obliges, hitting a left-footed pass into the open space.

The 15-year-old’s passing range allows him to initiate and contribute to the team’s build-up play from the defensive third. He can deliver precise short passes to nearby teammates or execute long-range passes, which can be instrumental in orchestrating the transition from defence to attack. This capability enhances his ability to control possession and dictate the game’s tempo from deep positions. Drennan mostly looks to be progressive with his passing as he plays 35 forward passes per 90.

Interestingly, his passing accuracy is relatively low at 52%, largely because he likes to utilise long passes to facilitate the quick transitions mentioned above. On the one hand, the longer the pass, the less likely to reach its desired target. However, this also shows us that Drennan is not afraid to take risks with his passing.

Moreover, this can be crucial in bypassing the opposition’s pressing lines. In situations where the opposing team employs high pressure, Drennan can deliver long balls to break through the lines and create opportunities for the team to progress into advanced areas of the pitch.

From a defensive perspective, Drennan utilises his intelligence well to get into good positions to make interceptions. In this situation, he reads the pass from the opponent and is able to get there quickly to make the interception and prevent the opposition from launching a counterattack. The young Northern Irish full-back can be relied upon to recover possession, averaging 5.9 recoveries per 90.

Additionally, Drennan is strong with his defensive actions, particularly in the aerial battle, where he averages 5.2 aerial duels per 90 and wins an average of 3.7 per 90. He has a commanding physical presence, so attackers find it difficult to get beyond him. Drennan looks to be a very exciting prospect for the future based on his skillset and recent performances.

Kevin Yazbek – Left Back – IFK Göteborg

The final player we are going to look at in this scout report is Götborg U17 full-back Kevin Yazbek.

The Göteborg defender is similar to Soumah in the sense that he doesn’t like to mark his opponent too closely. Instead, he prefers to give himself space to ensure a quick change of speed does not beat him. Here, Yazbek closely watches the ball and only moves closer to his opponent when he is sure that he can get a foot on the ball and force a turnover.

Additionally, Yazbek knows how to use his positioning to dictate the direction in which he can force the attacker. By positioning himself to guide the opposition attacker toward less threatening areas of the pitch or into defensive cover, Yazbek can control the flow of the game and limit the attacking options available to the opposition on Göteborg’s left flank. This strategic control is often instrumental in disrupting the opponent’s offensive strategies and reducing the likelihood of conceding goals.

The Swede frequently displays the ability and willingness to put his passing range to good use, especially when his team are looking to transition from defence to attack. In this instance, he confidently picks up the ball and carries it forward whilst assessing his options. Upon seeing his teammate making a run forward, Yazbek executes a long pass into his path.

Quick and accurate distribution allows the young full-back to initiate counterattacks efficiently, catching opponents off guard during defensive transitions. This not only relieves pressure on the defence but also exploits spaces left by the retreating opposition players, as demonstrated above.

His passing ability is very useful, especially since he averages an 83% pass accuracy rating per 90. Yazbek averages 1.18 key passes per 90, which shows he can carve out goalscoring opportunities for his teammates. In addition, he averages 2.7 crosses per 90 – this is also an important element of Göteborg U17’s attacking play.

Moreover, Yazbek excels defensively and is not one to shy away from duels with opponents. He is not the tallest, at 173 cm. However, he does have a good ability in the air, largely due to his jumping reach, which often sees him towering above opponents.

Here, we can see Yazbek climb higher than his opponent and direct his header to his teammate’s feet, ensuring Göteborg retain possession. The left-back averages 2.3 aerial duels per 90 and wins 1.24 per 90 on average. He makes good decisions about when to challenge for the ball in the air and uses his physicality to put the opponent under pressure and give himself the advantage.

His physical presence also aids his defensive output and is part of the reason why he does well in the ground duels. Furthermore, Yazbek reads the game well and averages 3.8 tackles per 90 in order to stop the opposition in their tracks. Plus, Yazbek is adept at providing cover for his teammates and making recovery runs due to his positional intelligence, which sees him make 5.7 ball recoveries per 90.

Conclusion

In this scout report, we have highlighted four full-backs who put in some highly impressive performances during 2023. We have seen how Ashqar Ahmed’s pace and dynamic movement influence Reading’s attacking play. Ibrahima Soumah is a young Ginuean defender to watch out for due to his intelligent play.

Additionally, Jake Drennan is a physically strong defender with some wonderful technical qualities, whilst Kevin Yazbek uses his passing abilities to Göteborg’s advantage.

Undoubtedly, these four full-backs are flourishing at youth level and will most likely go on to make the step up to first-team football over the coming seasons.