The turbo-charged winger lit up the Under-17 World Cup with England, and his next challenge is to get a taste of first-team action with City
What do Cesc Fabregas, Toni Kroos, Phil Foden and Victor Osimhen all have in common? Before launching their spectacular careers and going on to win multiple club and international titles, they all made a name for themselves at the Under-17 World Cup. Fabregas, Kroos and Foden were all named Player of the Tournament, while Osimhen won the Golden Boot as top scorer.
The biggest and most prestigious youth tournament in the world has been the launchpad for many more spectacular careers, and Joel Ndala will be hoping he can now take the next step in his journey to the top after a sensational individual display last year in Indonesia.
Ndala did not leave the 2023 tournament with any medals or individual awards, and after England's early exit to Uzbekistan he released an Instagram post showing himself looking devastated beneath a one word message: "Disappointed".
But Ndala still left his mark on the tournament with three goals and two assists, leaving observers with a clear sense that they will be seeing plenty more of him in the future.
Getty Where it all began
Ndala did a lot of moving around as a child. He was born in Manchester, but soon after he arrived into the world, his family, who have heritage from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, moved to France. They returned to the UK when Ndala was seven, moving to Stoke, and he was picked up by Port Vale at the age of eight after a member of staff was given a tip off by Ndala's PE teacher.
"From the first moment you could tell he was something special,” Vale academy coach Callum Rollings told . “It doesn’t happen much – he was spotted playing in the playground and the teacher gave us a call. He just had this belief in his own ability, even though he was such a young lad. Joel’s the best I’ve ever seen at that age. It was always like he was still playing in the playground.
“He was just unbelievable – in his own age group he stood out like a sore thumb. We did try to hide him a little bit, but the main thing was that he wasn’t being tested, and that’s why he went up two years. There was always a lot of interest around him.”
Word soon spread, and Ndala was the subject of interest from Liverpool and Aston Villa. But City eventually agreed a deal with Port Vale to sign Ndala in 2017, paying a reported £300,000 ($383,000) for the then-11-year-old.
AdvertisementGetty The big break
At the age of just 15, Ndala was promoted to City's U18s side, the youngest-ever player to do so. He held his own, too, scoring 10 goals in his first season, while also making his debut in the UEFA Youth League with the U19s. In July 2022, shortly after his 16th birthday, he signed a professional contract with the Cityzens.
Ndala produced a stunning cameo off the bench in a Youth League match against Borussia Dortmund, using his quick feet to win a penalty that was converted by current first-teamer Oscar Bobb. Ndala then proceeded to win the game, getting a feint touch to a ball over the top before following up on the rebound.
How it's going
Ndala featured regularly again in City's most recent Youth League campaign, where they reached the last-16, only to be knocked out by Mainz. And he has begun to make headlines at international level after lighting up the U17 World Cup.
He provided two assists in England's 10-0 hammering of New Caledonia, struck a last-minute winner to beat Iran 2-1, and scored a penalty in the defeat by Brazil. Ndala was also on the scoresheet in the shock 2-1 defeat by Uzbekistan, the one player to stand out in a desperately disappointing loss for the young Lions.
"In terms of his development, it’s really important that he has a bump in the road, and I’m sure that he will come back stronger,” Rollings said. “Joel was the one bright spark from England’s team at the World Cup who everyone wants to know about now. But I’m sure he will make an even bigger name for himself in the future."
Biggest strengths
Ndala is a dribbling sensation. He weaves past defenders for fun with his ultra-quick feet, but is also adept at slowing the play down when he needs to and protecting the ball by the byline, before continuing down the wing or cutting inside. He also has frenetic pace, frequently leaving opponents behind him amid a trail of dust.
Ndala is also remarkably adept with both feet, meaning he can play off either wing and is an unpredictable force to defend against, as deadly with his right foot as he is with his left.