FOOTBALL
Paulo Dybala (Argentina)
Dybala, who recently turned 21, has already been in Europe for two-and-a-half years, joining Italian Serie A side Palermo from Instituto in his native Argentina in 2012. Already a standout in his homeland when just a teenager, striker Dybala is by no means unknown, but his stock continues to rise. An exciting start to this season with Palermo has seen him score at an average of almost one goal every second game. His days in Sicily could therefore be numbered, with Europe’s biggest clubs now being linked with mega-bucks offers. And with a Copa America to come in Chile, 2015 could be a very big year for the Boca Juniors fan.
GOLF
Brooks Koepka (USA)
The 24-year-old US college standout won his first top-tier tournament late in the year at the Turkish Airlines Open, which hoisted him to eighth in the Race to Dubai and earned him the European Tour Rookie of the Year award. A big-hitter with plenty of deft touch around the greens, Koepka left his Florida base on turning pro in 2012 and his travels in Europe and Asia are reaping dividends. He tied for fourth at the US Open, which earned him his PGA Tour card for the 2014-15 season and his first Masters invitation. He then placed 15th at the PGA Championship before his strong showing in Turkey.
TENNIS
Borna Coric (Croatia)
Only turned 18 in November, Coric finished the year at 96 in the world having been at 303 at the end of 2013. He is the youngest player ranked in the top 100 after a season that saw him beat Rafael Nadal en route to the Swiss Indoors semi-finals in Basel in October. Coric also reached the Umag Open quarter-finals in July and made his Grand Slam championship debut as a qualifier at the US Open, where he went on to reach the second round.
CRICKET
Taijul Islam (Bangladesh)
Few cricketers have made such impressive starts to their international careers as Taijul Islam, the 22-year-old left-arm spinner from Bangladesh. In only his third Test since his debut in September, Taijul bagged eight for 39 against Zimbabwe in Dhaka with controlled aggression rarely seen in a young spinner. Those were the best Test figures ever by a Bangladeshi bowler. A month later, he became the first bowler in history to grab a hat-trick on his one-day debut, against the same opponents at the same venue. It remains to be seen how the hugely talented youngster performs on the big stage at the World Cup.
BASKETBALL
Andrew Wiggins (Canada)
Kobe Bryant says he looks at Andrew Wiggins and sees a “reflection of himself”. The Minnesota Timberwolves gave up a lot (Kevin Love) to trade for first overall pick Wiggins, who has shown incredible athleticism and scoring prowess in his rookie NBA season. The 19-year-old Canadian was named NBA rookie of the month for October and November. Wiggins earned the Western Conference nod after averaging 11.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.
RUGBY UNION
Teddy Thomas (France)
The 21-year-old Racing Metro wing made a stunning international debut against Fiji in November, becoming only the second Frenchman to score a hat-trick of tries on his first appearance for Les Bleus. The powerful, speedy back then went on to score a dazzling individual try as France beat Australia 29-26, socks rolled down around his ankles. But Thomas was then unceremoniously dropped for the third Test against Argentina after missing a training session. Rugby fans can only hope it was an isolated indiscretion.