Football has evolved and the dynamics of the modern game has undergone a tremendous transformation in the last decade. Should one dwell deeper, a common power seems to be absolutely essential for the fruition of this on the pitch - energy. Abundant in the younger generation of footballers, they have grabbed headlines time and again over seasoned campaigners.

In the past few years, the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) has witnessed exceptional talent take centre stage season after season. With the 2018-19 campaign on its way, we take a look at the top five U-23 players to watch out for this season around.

ANIRUDH THAPA

Club: Chennaiyin FC

Position: Midfielder

Widely regarded as 'the next big thing in Indian football’, Thapa has already established himself as an integral member of the Chennaiyin side at a raw age of 20. The gifted midfielder made a total of 16 appearances for Chennaiyin, scoring 2 goals and setting up another as John Gregory's side went on to win their second Hero ISL title. To cap off his miracle year, Thapa was awarded the ‘Emerging Player of the Year’ award by AIFF, a testament to the youngsters growing reputation. His performance in the SAFF Suzuki Cup will also give Chennaiyin a lot of confidence ahead of the season, as they would hope he continues his onslaught on the opposition.

VISHAL KAITH

Club: FC Pune City

Position: Goalkeeper

Dubbed a 'long-term prospect for India’, Kaith’s first breakthrough came while playing for Shillong Lajong FC in the Hero I-League, where he won the ‘Man of the Match’ in his very first game. Consistent performances ever since saw him sign for the Stallions in the summer of 2017. A commanding presence inside his box, Kaith is an instinctive keeper who possesses razor sharp reflexes. In the 2017-18 season, Kaith had an impressive saves percentage of 70.31 and pulled 45 saves in the 17 matches he featured in, which aided his sides entry into the playoffs for the first time ever. Pune City will be hoping for more of the same from their young prodigy.

NANDHA KUMAR SEKAR

Club: Delhi Dynamos FC

Position: Midfielder

Although Delhi Dynamos had a 2017-18 ISL season to forget, the emergence of this young midfielder would have pleased them. Bagged from Chennai City FC after a successful loan spell, Nandakumar went on to make nine appearances for the capital club and boosted a promising 62.04% passing accuracy. A tidy central midfielder, Nandha gets around the park and had four assists and a goal to his name. He did his part defensively too, making 13 tackles, 10 interceptions, four clearances and nine blocks in the nine matches he featured in. Delhi will be hoping that the 22-year-old continues to push on and take his game to the next level.

NISHU KUMAR

Club: Bengaluru FC

Position: Defender

Son of a college peon, Muzaffarnagar's very own 'Ronaldo bhai’ defied odds and opinions to realize his footballing dream of playing for the country. A left-back by trade, Kumar signed for the southern club in 2015 and has since been a regular in Bengaluru’s side. The skilful defender succeeded with all his tackles in Hero ISL last time around, while also won 63% of his aerial duels. However, the UP man needs to work on his attacking side having failed to score or assist a single goal in Bengaluru’s impressive 2017-18 campaign.

SHUBHAM SARANGI

Club: Delhi Dynamos FC

Position: Midfielder

An 18-year old Delhi native, Sarangi signed for Dynamos in the newly introduced January transfer window after missing out on the Indian side for the U-17 Fifa World Cup. Though still very young, Sarangi has all the attributes required to be a top player and enjoys getting under the skin of opposition defenders. A midfielder spent a number of months in Qatar, reaping the benefits of a strategic partnership between Aspire Academy and the Delhi outfit. The state-of-the-art training facilities are sure to do Sarangi a world of good as he prepares himself for the upcoming Hero ISL season.