Despite Burnley suffering relegation back to the Championship, one of their young players has still been recognised for his performances this season.
Looking back on the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, whoscored.com has put together their best rated XI of U21 players.
To be eligible for selection, players must have been aged 21 or under as of July 31, 2023.
1. James Trafford (Burnley) - 6.65
After starring at last summer’s U21 European Championship with England, James Trafford earned a move to Burnley, where he would stay ever-present in Vincent Kompany’s starting XI until the beginning of March. Trafford’s 6.65 WhoScored rating narrowly beats out Brighton stopper Bart Verbruggen for a place in our team. Photo: Alex Davidson
2. Malo Gusto (Chelsea) - 6.74
With club captain Reece James suffering with injury throughout the course of the season, Malo Gusto was handed more minutes than perhaps he and supporters expected in his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge. The Frenchman, though, thrived along the right-flank under Mauricio Pochettino, ending the season with six league assists to his name. Photo: Alex Pantling
3. Murillo (Nottingham Forest) - 6.69
Nottingham Forest defender Murillo’s performances during the 2023/24 campaign will have alerted many of Europe’s top clubs, with the 21-year-old looking extremely assured in his first Premier League season. The Brazilian, who moved to England from Corinthians last summer, played all but six of his side’s league matches, making a total of 50 tackles, 37 interceptions and 185 clearances. Photo: Alex Davidson
4. Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton) - 6.90
Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite is likely to be targeted by England’s top clubs after a mightily impressive first full Premier League campaign with the Toffees. The 21-year-old’s WhoScored rating of 6.90 ranks only behind defensive partner James Tarkowski among English defenders for the season. Photo: Jan Kruger