The Polish first division, or Ekstraklasa as it’s officially known, may not be considered one of the elite leagues in Europe.
Still, with the increasing reputation of the Polish national side and Legia Warsawa’s forays into the UEFA Champions League, Polish clubs deserve some recognition for their improvement in player development in recent years.
Players like Robert Lewandowski, Jakub Błaszczykowski and Arkadiusz Milik all cut their teeth in the Ekstraklasa before moving on to the big leagues in European football, making the league an exciting place to observe young talent.
At the moment, none is more eye-catching than Legia Warsawa’s star, Sebastian Szymański.
The 19 year old attacking midfielder has not taken long to establish himself as an important player in Legia Warsawa’s first team as a chief playmaker.
Having also made the Polish World Cup preliminary 35-man squad it won’t be long before Szymański is a regular for the Polish national side as well as being touted as a possible transfer to Europe’s elite leagues.
But what is it that makes the 19 year old from Biala Podlaska so special?
We take a closer look.
Sebastian Szymański Creative Hub
Young footballers can often be thrown around in many positions, filling gaps where their team needs them but only the best are utilised so widely because of their enviable talent.
Whether as an attacking midfielder, a central controlling player or playing in a wide role, Sebastian Szymański provides the goods for Legia Warsawa in the form of goals and assists.
The 19 year old track record of doing so from different positions is an indicator of both his quality and maturity.
Sebastian Szymański Position Map
Quality is obvious in technical ability but knowing how to pass and shoot is no use without the when and why, this is where maturity can be a huge asset for a young player.
Luckily for Szymański he has vision and timing above most his age.
