The Golden Boy is an award that is given by sports journalists to a young footballer playing in Europe perceived to have been the most impressive during a calendar year, which was established by Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport in 2003. All nominees must be under the age of 21 and play in a European nation's top tier. Since 2003, 16 players have won this award. Who is the best Golden Boy? Show your opinions by voting them!
1. Rafael van der Vaart
Van der Vaart began his career at Ajax's youth academy and worked his way into the first team, debuting as a 17-year-old. Known for his playmaking skills, he drew comparisons to Johan Cruyff. He was named Dutch Football Talent of the Year and became the first recipient of the Golden Boy Award while at the club.
2. Wayne Rooney
Rooney joined the Everton youth team at the age of 9 and made his professional debut for the club in 2002 at the age of 16. He spent two seasons at the Merseyside club, before moving to Manchester United for £25.6 million in the 2004 summer transfer window. He won 16 trophies with the club, including five Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the Champions League.
3. Lionel Messi
Born and raised in central Argentina, Messi was relocated to Spain to join Barcelona at age 13. After a fast progression through Barcelona's youth academy, Messi made his competitive debut aged 17 in October 2004. He established himself as an integral player for the club within the next three years, finishing 2007 as a finalist for both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award, a feat he repeated the following year.
4. Cesc Fabregas
Fàbregas came through La Masia, Barcelona's youth academy, leaving at 16 when he was signed by Premier League club Arsenal in September 2003. He broke several of the club's records in the process, earning a reputation as one of the best players in his position, and won the FA Cup in 2005.
5. Sergio Aguero
Agüero began his career at Independiente. On 5 July 2003, he became the youngest player to play in the Argentine Primera Division on his debut at 15 years and 35 days, breaking the record previously established by Diego Maradona in 1976. In 2006, he moved to Europe to play for La Liga side Atlético Madrid, attracting attention from Europe's top clubs by scoring 101 goals in 234 appearances.
6. Isco
Isco began his career at Valencia, playing mainly in its reserve team, before joining Málaga in 2011. His performances at Malaga earned him the Golden Boy award in 2012, and a €30 million move to Real Madrid in June 2013, with whom he won four UEFA Champions League titles.
7. Paul Pogba
Born in Lagny-sur-Marne, Pogba flourished as a member of local youth teams. He eventually joined the youth team of Ligue 1 side Le Havre, before a protracted transfer brought him to Manchester United in 2009. Two years later, limited appearances persuaded him to depart to join Italian side Juventus on a free transfer in 2012, where he helped the club to four consecutive Serie A titles, as well as two Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana titles. During his time in Italy, Pogba received the Golden Boy award in 2013.
8. Raheem Sterling
Born in Jamaica, Sterling moved to London at the age of five and began his career at Queens Park Rangers before signing for Liverpool in 2010. In July 2015, following a lengthy dispute over a new contract, he was signed by Manchester City in a transfer potentially worth £49 million, the highest transfer fee ever paid for an English player.
9. Anthony Martial
Playing youth football for Les Ulis, Martial began his professional career at Lyon, then transferred to AS Monaco in 2013 for a fee of €6 million. He was a member of Monaco's squad for two seasons and signed for Manchester United in 2015. In the same year, he received the Golden Boy award.
10. Kylian Mbappe
Mbappé came into prominence at an early age, starring for the youth academy at Bondy before gaining a move to Monaco, where he made his professional debut in 2015, aged 16. Mbappé then quickly established himself as a regular goalscorer for the first team in the 2016–17 season, as he helped the club gain their first Ligue 1 title in seventeen years. A year later, he transferred to Paris Saint-Germain for €180 million, making him the most expensive teenager, and the world's second-most expensive player.
11. Matthijs de Ligt
De Ligt joined the Ajax youth academy when he was 9 years old. He made his debut for Jong Ajax on 8 August 2016 in an Eerste Divisie game against FC Emmen. Due to de Ligt's performances for Ajax, he was linked with many of Europe's top clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal and Manchester City. On 17 December 2018, de Ligt won the Golden Boy award. De Ligt became the first defender to win the award.
We've only listed the experiences of these players before they won the Golden Boy Award. Which 5 do you think are the top 5 Golden Boys?