The Best Young UK & Ireland Players To Sign on FM23

With the changes to work permits in the UK post-Brexit, managers in the UK often have to look closer to home when recruiting. In fact, for clubs in continental competitions, homegrown talent is more important than ever with registration rules to meet.

If that sounds familiar, this guide to the best young British players to sign will give you a shortlist of top talent to recruit for your club. If you’re completing a Homegrown Hero challenge in FM23 where you only sign players from the UK & Ireland in your save, then you should bookmark this list to come back to.

How have we selected these players?

When filtering the Player Search for players born in the UK & Ireland, the list will be topped by household names that are unattainable for so many. We’re talking Bukayo Saka, Harvey Elliot and Jude Bellingham.

We’ve selected this list of the best young UK & Ireland players to sign on FM23 by focusing on players we think are realistic signings for most. Some may be unattainable at the start of your save, but by the end of season one or two, they should be available.

Top 5 young UK & Ireland players to sign on FM23

Alex Scott
Age: 18
Nationality: English
Position: CM
Best Role: Advanced Playmaker
Current Club: Bristol City



Alex Scott recently won the EFL Championship Young Player of the Year award in real life, and his talents are replicated in FM23.

While Scott has good technical and physical ability at the start of the save - although his Strength will need to be worked on to handle top-flight football - it’s his mental attributes that really stand out.

The English midfielder has attributes for Work Rate, Off The Ball and Determination, as well as a high level of Flair.

At just 18 years old at the start of FM23, Scott is one of the hottest properties outside of top-flight football. You’ll face competition for his signature, which will cost you around £10 million.

---

Adam Wharton
Age: 18
Nationality: English
Position: DM
Best Role: Deep Lying Playmaker
Current Club: Blackburn



Playing at Ewood Park alongside his brother Scott, Adam Wharton is a highly-rated defensive midfielder that is raw and will require development and patience in FM23. He has a very strong base of technical ability to build from as a deep-lying playmaker, including his Passing, Technique and First Touch.

Wharton’s mental attributes stack up too, with strong Vision as well as decent composure and work rate.

Wharton is a project - don’t expect him to step up to first-team football immediately, but develop him correctly and you could have a solid home-grown deep-lying playmaker for years to come.

---

Matt O’Riley
Age: 21
Nationality: English/Danish dual-nationality
Position: CM
Best Role: Deep Lying Playmaker
Current Club: Celtic



One player that is ready to step up to first-team football immediately is Celtic’s Matt O’Riley, who has shone in Scotland in real life since his move last summer.

Compared to the other players on our list, Matt O’Riley is expensive to sign. His value in-game is up to £25 million, and Celtic will look to get as close to that as possible.

If you’ve got the cash, though, there are few better ways to spend it on young British midfielders. O’Riley has excellent First Touch, Passing and Technique. He’s also the most rounded physically on this list.

---

Sam Curtis
Age: 16
Nationality: Irish
Position: RB
Best Role: Wing-Back
Current Club: St Patrick’s Athletic



At just 16 - and with a cost of around £200k - Sam Curtis is a risk-free signing that could strike gold for you. An Irish youth international, Curtis is being linked to a number of top English clubs in real life.

Where Curtis excels in FM23 is his physical attributes. 15 for Natural Fitness, as well as good Pace and Acceleration. These are all important attributes for a Wing-Back to get up and down the flank.

Technically, Curtis’ attributes are at a decent level for a 16-year-old. He has good Technique and Passing while Marking and Tackling are on the cusp on being decent.

Curtis develops nicely when managed by the AI, but when managed by a human manager, he develops into a Premier League right-back.

---

Ronnie Edwards
Age: 19
Nationality: English
Position: CB
Best Role: Ball Playing Defender
Current Club: Peterborough



Ronnie Edwards is a young English defender who starts at Peterborough United on FM23. Edwards is 5’11”, so fairly short for a central defender, but makes up for this with strong technical ability for a 19-year-old.

With his height - and jumping reach of 10 - Edwards is weak in the air, so you’ll want to pair him with an aerially dominant defensive partner.

The Peterborough defender is sought after at the start of the game, with a number of Premier League clubs interested. It’ll cost you around £2.5 million to sign him in your save.

Honourable Mentions

Player	Age	Club	Position
Levi Colwill	19	Chelsea	CB
Jacob Greaves	21	Hull City	CB
Etienne Green	21	St-Etienne	GK
Ashley Phillips	17	Blackburn Rovers	CB
John Buckley	22	Blackburn Rovers	DM/CM
Jobe Bellingham	17	Birmingham City	CM
Ben Doak	17	Liverpool	RW
Kion Etete	21	Cardiff	ST