Shea Charles is a 19-year-old centre-back or central defensive midfielder who is the u21 Manchester City side captain. Charles made his professional debut for Guardiola vs Brentford and has also made his first-team debut for Northern Ireland. Charles has been rumoured with a move away from City, with the likes of Dortmund and Leipzig eager for his signature.
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Northern Ireland
- Age: 19
- Date of birth: 05/11/2003
- Current club: Man City
- Career: Man City (Y)
- Position: Centre-Back, Central Defensive Midfielder
- Preferred foot: Right
Charles stands at approximately 1,89 m and has a mesomorph body type. Charles possesses good natural strength which he utilises well in duels with the opposition. He’s also very balanced and has good agility which enables him to track and match the movement of the best attackers in the league, as well as, in possessional terms, he’s able to move away from danger. Due to his height, Charles is dominant aerially, he also displayed strong aerial abilities in his Premier League debut. Charles’s physical attributes transfer well to each position he plays, CB or 6.
Charles technical ability is top. While predominantly right-footed he is comfortable using his weaker left foot, however, I don’t think it would be wise for him to play LCB. Both his receiving and ball control attributes are very good, he’s more than comfortable receiving the ball in high-pressing situations, where he’s got the ability to neatly control the ball and play out. The 19-year-old is confident dribbling the ball out the back and penetrating the opposition sitting off, combined with his strength and close ball control he’s a powerful force and difficult to win the ball off. While playing RCB he controls the tempo well not forcing ball progression and when he looks to move the ball his passing range is good, where he’s comfortable switching the ball well and progressing the ball down the right channel.
Defensively Charles reads the box really well, I don’t believe I’ve seen a better 19-year-old at this. He has a sense of danger and reacts well, whether it’s delaying the opposition or dropping on the line to make a clearance. While playing both 6 or CB he’s got a strong understanding of the positioning and is very effective at intercepting the ball. In 1v1 duels he matches the opposition for, speed, agility and balance where he’s able to make the block or tackle successfully. Furthermore, he uses his body well to negate the attacking player any chance of winning the ball.
Charles psychological profile is excellent. He’s very composed, specifically with the ball, where he’s very consistent in his decision-making – and 9/10 he will make the correct decision. Being the captain of the U21 he’s shown his leadership and maturity across the season, and furthermore playing for Northern Ireland’s first team has also highlighted his maturity.
Having watched him 20 + times this season I’m very excited at the prospect of him getting a move with the opportunity to be playing regular first-team football. For reference, I think Charles has the current ability to be a solid player in the Championship, with the sky being the limit for his potential. Playing just under 30 minutes on his debut for Man City, Charles was very clean with everything he did, although I believe he wasn’t performing at his usual level and confidence, which will come with more senior minutes as his confidence builds. I’m sure there will be tons of rumours circulating this summer regarding Charles’s future… Keep an eye out for Shea Charles!