Group C: Player to watch out for: Taylor Harwood-Bellis(England)

Burnley are back among the big boys of the Premier League next season after winning the championship title and getting promoted in Vincent Kompany’s first season in charge. 

One player who was pivotal for Clarets’ success was Manchester City loanee Taylor Harwood-Bellis. The centre-back was a regular in the starting XI under Kompany apart from a brief period during February and March 2023. 

Harwood-Bellis also played a major part in the England U21 setup during the qualification for this year’s Euros. In fact, he captained the side during that period. Being such an important part of the group in the past, and still only 21 years old, Harwood-Bellis is expected to go to the Euros this time around and hence, he is a player to watch out for from that England U21 squad.

The below visualisation shows where the 21-year-old defender ranked for some of the key metrics when compared with the players who play in a similar position to his during the recently concluded Championship season.

Rated highly by everyone at Manchester City — including manager Pep Guardiola — Harwood-Bellis represented City in cup competitions during the 2019-20 season. Since then, he has been elsewhere including loan spells at Blackburn Rovers, Anderlecht under Kompany, Stoke City and under Kompany once again at Burnley. His loan spells in the Championship have been particularly useful for him as he has been getting regular playing minutes under his belt at both Stoke and Burnley. Harwood-Bellis has also represented England at U16 level.

The 21-year-old is a tall aggressive centre-back who can do things on the ball. In possession, he is one of the key players at Burnley helping his team build from the back. As seen in the visual above, Harwood-Bellis, ranked very high for key passing metrics including progressive passes per 90 minutes (93rd percentile). 

So, if he is given the opportunity at City, adapting to manager Pep Guardiola’s style should not be a problem for him. Another one of his strengths is his positioning. Harwood-Bellis is always aware of what is around him and is always there at the right place at the right time. An aspect of his game that he may have to improve is his aerial ability and his decision-making in not rushing for duels.

Taylor-Harwood Bellis has had an impressive season for Burnley and would have caught the eye of most around the world. Having played the most minutes for the England U21 squad during the 21/22 season, Harwood-Bellis is entering an important phase of his career that could serve as a launchpad for his time ahead at City or elsewhere and this summer’s Euros could prove vital for his growth as a player. He is, hence, one of the players to watch out for.