If there's one thing that feels greater than making it as a professional footballer, it's got to be making it as a professional footballer and playing for your boyhood club.

Just imagine the feeling of pulling on that shirt and walking out onto the pitch at that ground you've spent so much time at as a youngster, watching from the stands. It's a feeling that not many will have got to experience over the years, or so you'd think.

A recent report from The Athletic revealed just how many boyhood fans each Premier League team had playing for them right now, and there's actually a surprisingly large amount of stars with the privilege.

Some sides have more than a handful, while others don't feature a single one, but here are all 20 Premier League teams ranked by how many boyhood fans they currently have in their squad.

15 There are numerous teams with zero boyhood fans among their ranks

Unfortunately, not every Premier League team actually has boyhood fans among their ranks. Some of the smaller clubs, with subsequently smaller fanbases, aren't as fortunate as some of the other sides in the top flight.

The likes of Luton Town, Brentford and AFC Bournemouth all feature zero boyhood fans, but that's likely down to the fact their fanbases are smaller than some of the other sides in the league, and as a result, the chances of having fans in the side are much lower.

Other sides without any boyhood fans are Fulham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brighton & Hove Albion. Considering the money spent at both the Cottagers and Wolves to solidify their spots in the Premier League, it's not that surprising that they don't have any of their own fans still in the squad. In fact, with Wolves' tendency to recruit from Portugal, it's not surprising for them at all.

It is a little surprising to see Brighton without any boyhood fans, though, but the club has done an excellent job recruiting from across the world, so it's not like they've missed out on much.

14 West Ham United - 1

Boyhood fans: Ben Johnson

West Ham United feature just one boyhood fan within their current squad and that's Ben Johnson. Having worked his way up through the Hammers' academy, the defender has emerged as a serviceable member of the first team over the last few years and has made 87 appearances for the club in all competitions so far. He's not exactly the first name on the team sheet right now, but he's done a solid job for David Moyes' side whenever called upon.

13 Crystal Palace - 1

Boyhood fans: Joe Whitworth

Crystal Palace's sole boyhood fan currently within the squad is young goalkeeper Joe Whitworth. Making his debut last year, the youngster became the club's youngest ever goalkeeper in the Premier League and has made two appearances for the Eagles so far. At just 19 years old, the future is bright for the shot-stopper.

12 Burnley - 1

Boyhood fans: Jay Rodriguez

Unlike Johnson and Whitworth, Jay Rodriguez is in the twilight of his career and returned to Burnley, the club he's supported since childhood to seemingly retire with them. The Englishman has had a solid career playing for the likes of Southampton and West Bromwich Albion but is back at his beloved Burnley, where he started his career all those years ago.

11 Aston Villa - 1

Boyhood fans: Jacob Ramsey

In terms of boyhood fans, Aston Villa have had it good in recent years. First Jack Grealish came through the ranks at the club and has gone on to become one of the biggest talents in England at Manchester City. With his departure, though, they were left with just one boyhood fan in the squad, but fortunately, Jacob Ramsey has quickly become one of the brightest prospects in the Premier League.

At just 22 years old, the midfielder has already made over 100 appearances for Villa and could go on to become a major icon for the side in the future.

10 Nottingham Forest - 2

Boyhood fans: Brennan Johnson & Joe Worrall

Despite having just two boyhood fans in their ranks, Nottingham Forest can boast of having two of the very best. Brennan Johnson and Joe Worrall have both been fantastic servants for Steve Cooper's side over the years.

The two were pivotal in Forest's return to the Premier League and each had major roles as they managed to avoid relegation back to the Championship. Worrall has played over 200 games for the club now, while Johnson has made just over 100 and his goals have been massive.

With the likes of Tottenham Hotspur taking a close look at Johnson this summer, he may be on borrowed time at Forest, but for now, the boyhood fan remains at his favourite club.

9 Everton - 2

Boyhood fans: Thomas Cannon & Lewis Dobbin

It's been a tough period for Everton recently, with the club only narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier League in two straight years. They haven't started strong this season either, and many fans have accused the side of not caring enough, but there are two players in the squad who certainly care and that's boyhood fans Thomas Cannon and Lewis Dobbin.

Growing up as Everton fans, the two forwards have shown plenty of promise, but neither has quite broken into the first team on a regular basis. Cannon, who spent last season on loan at Preston North End has made a handful of appearances in the league for Everton, but might be on his way out this summer, with Leeds United interested.

Dobbin has similarly made several appearances but failed to cement a spot in the first team. His loan spell at Derby County last year didn't quite have the impact he'd have hoped for either.

8 Sheffield United - 3

Boyhood fans: Andre Brooks, Louie Marsh & Antwoine Hackford

After a summer that saw Sheffield United lose a couple of major players, the Blades are going to need all the help they can get this season. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as though they'll receive much from the three boyhood fans in the team.

Andre Brooks, Louie Marsh and Antwoine Hackford all love the Blades and have come through the ranks at Bramall Lane, but none are quite ready to make a significant impact in the first team. Brooks has made a few appearances sporadically in the side, while Marsh and Hackford haven't broken through just yet.

7 Tottenham Hotspur - 3

Boyhood fans: Oliver Skipp, Japhet Tanganga & Brandon Austin

Spurs have a few boyhood fans within the mix right now at the side, with Oliver Skipp the pick of the bunch. The midfielder has been a key figure in the middle of the park for Spurs in recent years and has made 83 appearances for the club so far. Japhet Tanganga and Brandon Austin are the two other boyhood fans at Ange Postecoglou's team right now. Austin hasn't made a single appearance for the club, while Tanganga has flirted on the fringes of the first team for some time, and could be on his way out.

6 Liverpool - 3

Boyhood fans: Harvey Elliot, Curtis Jones & Trent Alexander-Arnold

Liverpool have three fantastic players in the squad who grew up as fans of the Reds, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliot all being boyhood fans.

Alexander-Arnold has been one of the best right-backs in football following his emergence in the side's first team, and he's played a large role in their success under Jurgen Klopp. The defender has helped revolutionise the right-back position. Elliot is one of the more exciting young attackers in the Premier League and will go on to become one of the best in the years to come, while Jones hasn't quite cemented his place as a first-team regular, but is surely on the verge.

5 Manchester United - 4

Boyhood fans: Jonny Evans, Rasmus Hojlund, Scott McTominay & Marcus Rashford

With the return of Jonny Evans and the signing of Rasmus Hojlund this summer, Manchester United now have four boyhood fans within the first team squad. Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay round out the group with the former being the pick of the bunch.

Rashford has been an incredible servant to the Red Devils over the years, while McTominay has often gone underrated for his performances at Old Trafford. Evans was once a solid member of the side, before leaving and spending time at both West Brom and Leicester City.

With his return to the club, it's unlikely he'll figure too much, but his experience may be vital for the younger names in the team and their development. Hojlund's arrival this summer could spell success for United, but it remains to be seen how he'll take to playing for his boyhood club, with the striker currently injured.

4 Manchester City - 4

Boyhood fans: Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, Rico Lewis and Cole Palmer

In terms of boyhood fans, is there a better pair in any Premier League team than Phil Foden and Erling Haaland? Absolutely not. The two are some of the best attacking players in the world and there hasn't been a striker with the goal-scoring prowess of Haaland, maybe ever.

Pairing those with two bright up-and-coming talents like Rico Lewis and Cole Palmer, who are also huge City fans, results in a pretty impressive quartet. Although City could be down to three if Palmer completes his move to Chelsea.

3 Chelsea - 6

Boyhood fans: Armando Broja, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Conor Gallagher, Reece James & Romelu Lukaku

It's actually surprising to see so many boyhood Chelsea fans remain at the club considering how much money they've spent recently and the overhaul the squad has experienced.

Armando Broja, Trevoh Chalobah, Conor Gallagher and Reece James all came through the club's youth ranks and as such, their love for the side isn't all that big of a shock. The stars have all been fine players for the Blues, with James a particular stand-out, currently occupying the captaincy role at Stamford Bridge.

Romelu Lukaku and Wesley Fofana's affection for the side is a surprise though, with the former's two spells at the club being pretty disappointing. A loan move to AS Roma may mean we've seen the last of the Belgian in a Chelsea shirt, but he still features on this list seeing as it's only a loan move. Things have gone a little better for Fofana, who joined the side from Leicester, but he is currently out injured.

2 Arsenal - 6

Boyhood fans: Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah, Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Emile Smith-Rowe & Oleksandr Zinchenko

It's not only impressive how many boyhood fans Arsenal currently have in the team, but just how many are first-team regulars. Up until Folarin Balogun's move to Monaco, the Gunners had seven boyhood fans on their books, but Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah, Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Emile Smith Rowe and Oleksandr Zinchenko were all Arsenal fans from a young age who now have major roles in the side.

Saka is clearly the stand-out, with the Englishman currently one of the best attackers in England, while Saliba's emergence as one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League has been pivotal in the Gunners' success under Mikel Arteta.

Smith Rowe once looked like he'd be a major superstar for Arsenal, but injuries have hindered his progress so far. There is still plenty of time to turn things around, though. Zinchenko's arrival last summer was massive for the side, while Nelson and Nketiah have both stepped up whenever necessary.

1 Newcastle United - 8

Boyhood fans: Dan Burn, Elliot Anderson, Paul Dummett, Sean Longstaff, Mark Gillespie, Lewis Miley, Lewis Hall, Jacob Murphy

The Premier League side with the most boyhood fans within the team is Newcastle United who have eight players at St James' Park who spent the majority of their lives supporting the club.

The majority came through the academy, with Elliot Anderson, Paul Dummett, Sean Longstaff, Mark Gillespie, Lewis Miley and Jacob Murphy representing. Dan Burn and Lewis Hall, though, are incredible examples of players who left fellow Premier League sides Brighton and Chelsea respectively to join the Magpies and realise their dream of playing for the club they love above all others.

With Eddie Howe's side on a clear upward trajectory and plenty of money sure to be spent and some incredible names inevitably heading through the doors soon, the amount of boyhood fans at Newcastle will likely drop in the future, but for now, they can take pride in having this distinct honour.