Breakout stars: proof you can be succesesful as a newbie!

One summer ago, Lamine Yamal announced himself on the world stage: his deft touches, shimmering body feints, lethal finishes, and pinpoint crosses lit the European Championships alight. He was, partly due to his La Masia background, reminiscent of a young Messi breaking through at Barcelona.

It is interesting to see why we, as fans, have such an affinity for youngsters breaking through. It is perhaps because we see, in a small way, our own forgotten dreams of professionalism live on through them. We relate to them because we see our dreams growing up become realised for them.

Everyone has to start somewhere – whether it’s university freshers or sporting rookies, hard work does pay off! Take a look at these three breakout athletes and their success in only their first year of competition.

Max Dowman

At 15, Max Dowman has already been labelled by Jamie Carragher as “one of the best English talents” he has seen. It is hyperbolic and perhaps naïve from Carragher, given the weight and expectation of those words, but it does show the kind of hype around him.

Arsenal fans have known about Dowman for a while, having broken into the U18s squad at just 14. From the U15s to the U18s and the first team, he has consistently shown the same innate ability to beat a defender. His first-team debut against Newcastle and his Premier League debut against Leeds both showcased the impact he could have, winning penalties in each.

He faces a stern test in finding consistent minutes with the plethora of attacking options that Arsenal now have. His preferred positions on the right or in the middle mean he faces competition from Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri, and Eberechi Eze, to name a few.

One thing is for certain, however, and that is Dowman will get his opportunities. Arteta has already spoken very highly of him, and he is a concrete part of his plans for the season.

Michelle Agyemang

Having only started three games in Brighton’s WSL campaign, Agyemang was an unknown prospect on the international stage. She came on for an England side that was underperforming and saved England at the death on two occasions.

Two late goals, the second one against Italy, in the dying embers of the game, showed a level of confidence unbefitting of her age, calmly slotting it by Giuliani and bringing the game to extra time. It was these two performances, these two goals, that thrust Agyemang from obscurity to fame.

Agyemang returns to Brighton for another season-long loan, with the hopes of gaining consistent minutes and returning to an Arsenal team fresh off the back of a Champions League victory.

Gabriel Bortoleto

Gabriel Bortoleto is one of five F1 rookies this year, alongside Antonelli, Bearman, Hadjar, and Lawson. Bortoleto was the standout driver in Formula 2 last season, driving with Invicta Racing and seeing off a notable challenge from Hadjar.

This year, he is driving with Kick Sauber and is the first Brazilian to compete in Formula 1 since Felipe Massa in 2017. Alongside him is veteran Nico Hulkenberg, representing two ends of the career spectrum: Bortoleto hoping Sauber will be the jump-start to a career littered with podiums and wins, while Hulkenberg sees out the twilight of his career, building upon his first-ever podium at Silverstone earlier this year.

Bortoleto has had a promising start to his Formula 1 career, currently sitting at 18 points, which places him ahead of his rookie compatriots Bearman and Colapinto. The only rookies above him are Lawson, Hadjar, and Antonelli. Lawson and Antonelli have driven in the far superior cars of Red Bull and Mercedes, so the point gap is understandable. Despite the optimism, there is still a lot of work to be done for the Brazilian. He is currently 19 points behind Hulkenberg and will be hoping to reduce this gap by the end of the season.

Each of the three breakout stars will be hoping to emulate their sporting heroes. Dowman, Agyemang, and Bortoleto all possess the qualities to take them to stardom, but elite sport is a cutthroat world, and they will all need a blend of hard work and luck to reach the very top.