1. Mario Götze (Borussia Dortmund)
Hailed by former Dortmund and German star Matthias Sammer as one of the greatest talents Germany has ever produced. His breakthrough season has been nothing short of a fairytale after breaking into Juergen Klopp's side. Flying high at the top of the Bundesliga and making his national team debut at the age of 18 years-old against Sweden, the future looks very bright for the prodigious attacking midfielder. After a number of impressive displays for Dortmund, Götze was quickly fast tracked to the senior national team by coach Joachim Löw. The young playmaker has been instrumental's in Dortmund's monumental rise to the top of the Bundesliga this season. A versatile attacking player who is able to operate behind the main striker or on either flank, Götze has demonstrated excellent technical ability with a good range of passing and superb vision, often opening up opposition with defence splitting passes. Born in Memmingen, Germany, Götze made his debut for Dortmund's under-17 side at the age of 15 years-old. At 16, he was promoted to Dortmund's under-19 side but only managed to take part in 13 out of 26 matches due to injury, scoring eight goals and assisting seven more. He was rewarded with a place in Marco Pezzaiuoli's team at the 2009 U-17 European Championships, which Germany went on to win. His impressive performances in the tournament and at the U-17 World Cup helped earn him the prestigious Fritz Walter gold medal given to the best player in Germany aged 17 or under.