by @afmoldtimer
This is possibly both the hardest and the easiest article to write about one of the top wonderkids in Football Manager this year. Why? What hasn’t already been said about Andreas Schjelderup? In doing research on this piece, there are so many articles out there already about this FM23 wonderkid, and most of them aren’t even about his exploits in the game.
The 18-year-old Norwegian is yet to achieve an international cap, but it feels like it could only be a matter of time should he break through at Benfica. Already twice capped at U21 level, he has impressed scouts at all the major European sides, and Schjelderup reportedly turned down a host of elite clubs in favour of a move to the Portuguese giants.
Signed by the Lisbon-based side in January of this year from Danish title contenders FC Nordsjælland, Schjelderup had mostly played as either an inside forward on the left-hand-side or as a false nine in the Superligaen. Over the 2022-23 season, he scored 10 goals in 17 appearances, including three penalties, telling the teams in the bigger leagues that he was ready for the next step.
So far he has only made one substitute appearance in the first-team, coming on in the last minute of an away game against Marítimo. However, he has recently been named on the bench in the Champions League games against Club Brugge and Internazionale - being registered in Benfica’s Champions League squad at the age of 18 perhaps isn’t unusual given their business model, but that’s more common if you are Portuguese national or perhaps Brazilian. To make this step as a Norwegian is no mean feat, even if he hasn’t played yet.
For someone so young, he's not afraid to make big moves. He left FK Bodø/Glimt, his hometown team having grown up in Bodø before even making a senior appearance. It's obviously impossible to know the road not traveled, but you probably can't deny that leaving to be part of the FC Nordsælland youth team before being fast-tracked to first team minutes has rapidly enabled him to develop into the player he has thus far become.
Whilst at FC Nordsjælland, Schjelderup was either protected from being over-played, or needed to work on his stamina/natural fitness, having only completed ninety minutes twice over seventeen games. If it’s the former and he is being protected, then this was shrewd from the FC Nordsjælland management team - avoiding any early injuries to a player at a tender age can actually aid their development, and avoids them being burnt out (see Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney). He never missed a matchday at FC Nordsjælland in the 2022-23 season in the time that he was there - giving him time on the pitch to continue to develop his game.
A tricky inside forward, he looks to play in a direct, fast fashion. He will happily take on his opponent, either with a piece of skill through his quick feet and dribbling ability, or by looking to make a progressive pass. His passing ability is backed up by his vision - he has honed his play to be able to recognise the attacking runs of his teammates and the defensive fragility of the opposition. He also has the technique to pull off his flair and passing, and is able to finesse the ball with ease.
In FM23 - well, see for yourself..we are looking at an 18-year-old that is already primed for first-team football, possessing excellent technical skills and bags of room & potential to develop rapidly in-game.
In terms of player traits, Schjelderup looks to cut inside from the left wing. Any video clip you see of Schjelderup on YouTube will tell you the SI researchers have been astute in their work with this, though I'd be keen to add more to his game than just that sole trait (see his 2029 player profile below for some that I and the AI have added before and after I became Bayer 04 Leverkusen manager).
He will need training on his physicals, with the lack of completion of games reflected in his stamina attribute. His balance is also something of a concern given his dribbling ability, but again, this is something that can be worked on in his positional and additional training programme.
It is perhaps no surprise that he has taken extra steps away from regular training to improve his abilities. His use of technology to improve his play was shared by the technical director at FC Nordsælland, Flemming Pedersen, helping him to make more calculated decisions when playing. This has likely helped his anticipation and composure, being able to play the ball that he wants to play, or take on an opponent when the time is right to do so because he has already played out the situation in his mind hundreds of times, but without putting his body through the physical strain of that level of intense training.
Benfica's training systems may well have been what appealed to him, as they have elaborate, state-of-the-art training systems using technology to help players to improve their agility, first touch, passing, vision, and decision-making.
Given that Benfica have been part of the pathway for the likes of Darwin Núñez, João Félix, Enzo Fernández and Rúben Dias to name a few, it’s likely that Schjelderup saw the opportunity to move to a larger European side, with the idea of being able to work his way through their set-up in order to establish himself on a larger stage. With the oligopolistic nature of Portuguese football, enabling Benfica to qualify regularly for Champions League football, Schjelderup is backing both his talents and Benfica's dominance alongside Porto and Sporting that this is where he can make a breakthrough.
Whilst his move will mean that signing Schjelderup will be off the table in the initial stages of a new save, he’s certainly not someone that you want to sleep on if you are playing as a manager at a top-level side and you are looking for a youth option. His versatility, skillset and high ceiling will likely make him an attractive option despite the considerably higher asking price for him compared to when he was at FC Nordsjælland upon the release of Football Manager 2023.
With the right game time, coaching, training and facilities, Schjelderup can develop into an elite wide player, as seen below for my Bayer 04 Leverkusen side. I was fortunate to arrive at Bayer 04 with Schjelderup already in the playing squad.
If you're able to sign him as a team who are in but not really competing to win the Champions League, expect him to be wanted by those clubs that are particularly based on his in-game potential. Equally, anticipate he'll likely want a minimum fee release clause to increase the chances of him achieving that big move, should your league permit such an addition to the contract. His ambitious nature will mean that he will look to move his career to the highest he can achieve - and with the right guidance, it could be higher still than Benfica.
Time will tell, and highlight reels on YouTube are an appalling way to scout a player, but if the eye test is anything like the highlights then Norway are set for an exciting time ahead with Haaland, Ødegaard and potentially Schjelderup leading their attacking line in the near future 🔥.
Thanks for reading.
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