Comparing Cardiff City and Swansea City's most exciting wonderkid | OneFootball

Cardiff City and Swansea City have both been significant conveyor belts of talent for Welsh football over the years.

The likes of Chris Gunter, James Collins and current starlet Aaron Ramsey all elevated through the Bluebirds’ then-vaunted youth system to become staples of the Welsh national team and play top-level football.

Swanseas’s upwards progression at the start of the 2010’s enabled more prosperous production, though, and they enjoyed a period serving as the chief provider to the Red Dragons by bringing through defensive trio Ben Davies, Joe Rodon and Conor Roberts.

As the two perennial forces of Welsh football, they’ll both be vying to take pride and bragging rights from having the next big cab off the ranks now.

In a welcomed contrast to years gone by, Cardiff came out on top in the latest edition of the fiercely-contested South Wales Derby only two weeks ago - but will they come out on top here?

Let’s find out…

Who is Cardiff City’s biggest wonderkid?

Twelve months ago, absolutely nobody would contest this acclaim going to Rubin Colwill.

A graduate of the club’s academy and a boyhood supporter too, Colwill is electrifying on his day and has rekindled his star in fits and starts this term with some scintillating showings in the EFL Cup - giving supporters hope that his well-documented injury hell is now in the past.

But he’s seldom been provided with opportunities to show that in league football.

On the other hand, Ollie Tanner has.

Tanner himself endured a plagued 2022/23 campaign, where, after arriving from lowly non-league outfit Lewes FC, he had his work cut out.

He was unable to demand a place in the side at either Cardiff or the ill-fated mid-season loan spell that followed at York City, but he’s been a man possessed since Erol Bulut took the reins.

The winger - who came close to joining Tottenham Hotspur prior to moving to the Welsh capital - has emerged as one of the leading positives in what’s been a sensational start to the season for Cardiff, upping their attacking ante and rhythm in each and every game he’s played with his directness, skill, speed and unwavering desire to take on his opposite number.

His apex, though, was undoubtedly in the aforementioned South Wales Derby showdown.

Introduced from the bench with merely 20 minutes to play, Tanner took the ball under control delightfully from Jamilu Collins’ diagonal switch with his very first touch before cutting inside - now a hallmark of his game - and curling a sweetly-struck strike into the far corner to send the Cardiff City Stadium into sheer delirium.

Already a hero, Tanner then proceeded to win the penalty that Ramsey promptly converted to put proceedings before doubt four minutes from time.

The 21-year-old has only kicked on from there too, and looks set to be a crucial component of Erol Bulut’s side in spite of his tender age and the influx of attacking options that Cardiff now have at their disposal.

But now, let’s take a look at Swansea’s finest young star and draw comparisons…

Who is Swansea City’s biggest wonderkid?

The Jack Army don’t have quite as many youthful prospects making waves nowadays, so it’s rather slim pickings.

Cameron Congreve and Azeem Abdulai are both held in a glowing regard within Swans circles, and they’ll doubtlessly be afforded respective windows of opportunity to highlight their worth to a club that could really do with bursting at the seams from homegrown talent once again.

Although as things stand, the duo simply don’t have enough credit in the bank to justify that title, so we’ve decided to go with Nathan Wood instead.

Having played 40 matches in the Championship last time out, some will subscribe to the school of thought that he’s perhaps over-qualified to match the definition, but then again, he’s still only 21 years of age - the same as Tanner, of course.

21 and under appears the fairest criteria for a wonderkid, and Wood’s actual performances have most certainly earned that title.

A modern-day central defender, Wood combines a stellar reading of the game and ability to anticipate danger with ball-playing qualities that were naturally nurtured under the tuition of Russell Martin, while he’s also defensively assured and strong in the tackle.

Indeed, Martin himself was known to be eager to reunite with Wood on the south coast this summer, but Southampton found themselves unable to meet Swansea’s valuation.

And it was even reported by Fabrizio Romano that top-flight heavyweights and, notably, North London rivals Arsenal and Spurs had been looking to engineer a summer swoop, although it never came to fruition.

Still, it’s a telling testament to the England U21 international’s talents - do they match up to Tanner’s, though?

Who is the biggest wonderkid out of Cardiff City's Ollie Tanner and Swansea City's Nathan Wood?

Even just a few months ago, this would be a real no-brainer.

Now though, it’s a bit harder to decide and while many people will put forward a strong claim that Wood has been performing at this level for a longer period of time, you’ve got to give Tanner his praise as far as the here-and-now is concerned.

Recency ultimately matters, and it shouldn’t be forgotten that he tore Wood and his Swansea teammates apart; he’s already becoming an absolutely devastating and game-changing Championship wide player and possesses qualities that simply can’t be coached.

Based off that, it’s fair to say that he has more potential too.