Take note, Will Hughes! Sterling, Walcott, Bostock and more teenage transfer hits and misses

Derby County youngster Will Hughes has been linked with a move to Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City and the midfielder looks likely to become the next bright prospect from the Football League to join a top flight outfit with plenty of big hopes for his future. Such moves have had mixed results, however, with teen prodigies not always turning out to be Premier League stars....

Name: John Bostock
Position: Attacking midfielder
Moved from: Crystal Palace
To: Tottenham Hotspur

The youngest player ever to make his first team debut for Crystal Palace, aged just 15 years and 287 days, John Bostock was the source of a heated tug of war between Tottenham Hotspur and the Eagles. Spurs eventually coughed up £700,000 for the then-16-year-old with the potential to rise to £1.25m depending on appearances. They haven't had to pay up yet, as Bostock has made just four appearances for Spurs in total - not one in the league - despite being on their books for four years. After several loan spells, the most recent of which is at Swindon Town, he looks unlikely to be the player Tottenham thought he would become.

Name: Aaron Ramsey
Position: Midfielder
Moved from: Cardiff City
To: Arsenal

Aaron Ramsey because the youngest player to ever make an appearance for Cardiff City at 16 years and 114 days in 2007, and it didn't take long for the Premier League's big clubs to bid for the midfielder. Eventually, after Manchester United, Everton and Arsenal all attempted to convince Ramsey to join their ranks, the Gunners were successful, paying £4.8m for the Welshman. Though somewhat overshadowed by the development of Jack Wilshere, Ramsey has gone on to make 85 appearances for Arsenal, including 24 this season, and could yet prove to be an important player for Arsene Wenger's side.

Name: Jermaine Pennant
Position: Winger
Moved from: Notts County
To: Arsenal

Handed his Notts County debut by Sam Allardyce as a 15-year-old in 1998, Arsenal paid £2m for Jermain Pennant in 1999, a then record fee for a trainee. He never settled at Arsenal, however, spending periods on loan at Watford, Leeds United and Birmingham City, and his poor disciplinary record has harmed his career. Pennant had a second bite at the big club cherry when he moved to Liverpool in 2006, but despite starring in their 2007 Champions League final defeat, his inconsistency led to less and less appearances in red, before he left Anfield three years later. An odd move to Real Zaragoza in 2009 is now best remembered for Pennant 'forgetting' to bring his Porsche home from Spain, and the winger is currently on loan at Wolves, with little hope of another shot at the top level.

Name: Raheem Sterling
Position: Winger
Moved from: QPR
To: Liverpool

Liverpool paid an initial fee of £500,000 to sign Raheem Sterling from QPR in 2010, and the investment in the then 16-year-old already seems to have paid off. The signs looked good when Sterling starred for Liverpool in the NextGen Series in 2011, and 2012 proved to be even better, making his first team debut in March, then going on to become a regular feature of the Reds side under Brendan Rodgers. The winger became England's fifth-youngest ever debutant in November 2012, but the Reds will need to be careful they don't overplay their teen sensation.

Name: Theo Walcott
Position: Winger
Moved from: Southampton
To: West Ham

A £12.5m move from Southampton to Arsenal in 2006 meant Theo Walcott has had to live with immense pressure from a young age. Pressure only multiplied when he was included in England's World Cup squad that same year, despite still waiting for his Arsenal first team debut. Walcott has struggled for consistency at the Emirates, though over the last two seasons he has produced his best form, and is now mature enough to command significant interest from top clubs should he opt to leave Arsenal. The winger has yet to sign a new contract with the Gunners, but with his stock arguably higher now than ever, his future looks bright.

Is it wise for promising teens to move to big Premier League clubs? Let us know below...