Ranking the Premier League Players on the Golden Boy Award Shortlist
There are 40 nominees for the 2015 European Golden Boy award, as detailed here in the Daily Mail.
The award is voted for by journalists and went to Raheem Sterling, then of Liverpool, last year, whil it's also gone to the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and, er, Anderson in the past. Regardless of that last name, it is still seen as a key indicator of just who the best young footballers are in Europe right now.
Of the 40, 10 are based in the Premier League, but who are the best?
Let's get ranking.
N.B.: Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj and Manchester City's Jason Denayer are also on the shortlist, but they aren't considered here due to their current loan spells at Borussia Dortmund and Galatasaray respectively.
10. Adama Traore, Aston Villa
1 of 10
Although highly rated upon his summer arrival at Aston Villa from Barcelona, quicksilver winger Adama Traore is still yet to start a game in the Premier League for his new club, featuring off the bench just four times.
He did score on his only start for the club in a 5-3 League Cup victory over Notts County at Villa Park, but the Spain under-19 international has had an uncertain few months following the departure of the manager who signed him: Tim Sherwood.
Before he left the club, Sherwood urged Villa’s fans to be patient with a winger who will need time to settle in a new country, telling the Birmingham Mail:
"I’ve said this before, he’s in development.
This kid has played from League Two in Spain [Barcelona B] which isn’t one of the most competitive leagues so coming here is a big step up for him.
He has a go, that’s what I encourage him to do.
I don’t shout at him if he gives it away 16 times a day, I encourage him to keep going.
Next time, he’ll run past someone and he’ll win us the game so that’s why I keep encouraging them.
"
9. Nathan Ake, Watford (on Loan from Chelsea)
2 of 10
Now in his second loan spell away from Chelsea, Netherlands under-21 international Nathan Ake is showing clear signs of development during his temporary stint at Watford.
Hornets boss Quique Sanchez Flores has given Ake eight starts this season, most recently at left-back as his versatility continues to be an asset to the club following their promotion from the Championship. Although it isn’t a position that the 20-year-old is used to, he has quickly looked at home there.
In a recent piece for FourFourTwo, Edward Stratmann outlined Ake’s many qualities and quotes him on his transformation into a left-back:
"I’ve never played left-back constantly so I’m not used to getting forward.
If you play four or five games in a row your fitness gets better and you understand the game more and more every time. That is important for my development. Every week I’m learning new things—the manager allows me to make mistakes but also sees that I’m improving and getting better every time.
"
8. Divock Origi, Liverpool
3 of 10
It’s not been the easiest of transitions to life as a Liverpool player for Belgian forward Divock Origi, who, after signing for the Reds in the summer of 2014, endured a disappointing spell back on loan at Lille in the 2014/15 season.
Often looking more than a little raw when leading the Liverpool line, Origi has now seen the departure of the man who signed him, Brendan Rodgers, and injuries to more senior forwards Christian Benteke, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Ings place more responsibility on his shoulders.
He’s confident that new boss Jurgen Klopp will help him improve, though, telling the official Liverpool magazine:
"I heard he said he'd been interested in signing me when he was at Borussia Dortmund so that shows that he is aware of my qualities.
That was nice to hear but eventually it is down to me to show what I can do on the pitch and I have to focus on that.
Everybody at the club believes in me so I have to work hard and try to maximise every moment of playing time I get.
"
7. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Chelsea
4 of 10
Seen as the bright hope for Chelsea’s youth system, hugely talented midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has yet to make a sustained impact for the Blues first team as he battles with an assortment of stars for a place in Jose Mourinho’s XI.
With Chelsea struggling this season, Mourinho has opted to stick with his tried-and-tested stars, with Loftus-Cheek appearing just four times across three different competitions—his most recent appearance seeing him substituted at half-time in a Premier League win over Aston Villa last month.
Fine goals at youth level such as this recent one against Liverpool’s under-21s are all well and good, but it might be that the midfielder needs a loan move away soon to start to develop his game even further.
He doesn’t see it like that, though, telling the Daily Telegraph:
"There are world-class players in that [Chelsea] team for me to learn from, so being around that team every day for training, I can’t think of a better place. It’s all better for me.
I don’t want anyone to play badly for me to get a game. I want it the other way, that they’re at their best because that pushes me even more to play and that’s how football should be.
"
6. Kelechi Iheanacho, Manchester City
5 of 10
An injury to Sergio Aguero is never good news for Manchester City, but the Argentinian’s struggle for fitness this season has at least allowed City fans to see more of exciting Nigerian attacker Kelechi Iheanacho, and they are bound to like what they see.
Featuring nine times in the first team this season, Iheanacho has scored two goals—both against Crystal Palace in the Premier League and the League Cup—and City boss Manuel Pellegrini claims that he would have unleashed the teenager earlier were it not for injury and work-permit problems.
He told the Guardian:
"I work with him every day so I know what he can give to our team.
Last season I think he was ready to do it. We talk about his work permits but unfortunately for him he had a very serious injury in his ankles. That is why he couldn’t play last season.
Now he is ready and I am very happy for him to demonstrate what he can do.
"
5. Jordon Ibe, Liverpool
6 of 10
Sometimes you need to be patient to claw your way to the top, and Jordon Ibe is proving that patience very often pays off.
Having made his Football League debut with Wycombe Wanderers, Ibe then blossomed during loan spells at Birmingham City and Derby County before being recalled to Liverpool’s first-team squad by Brendan Rodgers and featuring heavily in the latter months of last season.
Tipped as a player who could blossom into a more consistent performer under Jurgen Klopp, Ibe scored his first senior goal for the Reds in the recent Europa League win over Rubin Kazan, and the German coach paid tribute in his own inimitable way, telling the Liverpool Echo:
"You know Jordon is a very skilled guy. He is not too bad!
It’s not my work that he is the player he is in this moment. But he needs our help and we need him. That is the truth.
With his speed, he is very different to most of the players I know. Now he has scored a fantastic goal. This is all really new for him. It’s cool. He is a young lad.
"
4. Luke Shaw, Manchester United
7 of 10
Given the omission of last year’s winner Raheem Sterling from this year’s shortlist, it is somewhat confusing to see Luke Shaw included given that the Manchester United left-back is six months older than his England team-mate.
It’s also easy to forget that Shaw is so young, just 20, making the broken leg he suffered in a Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven earlier this season all the more unfortunate.
Shaw had started the season in brilliant form for United, making the left-back slot his own thanks to a series of raiding forward runs allied to a strong positional sense.
It is to be hoped that he’ll be back sooner than anticipated, with United manager Louis van Gaal recently saying, via the London Evening Standard:
"He is every day here, he has started his rehabilitation already but he has a long way to go.
Now his progress is going quickly but at the end we know it will level off and at that point it is difficult to maintain your mentality.
"
3. Dele Alli, Tottenham Hotspur
8 of 10
The progress of Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli this season has been terrific to witness, with the midfielder instantly becoming a key part of the Spurs side following his move from Milton Keynes Dons and also gaining full England recognition.
Possessing a terrific engine and the ability to get up and down the pitch, Alli has proved crucial in boss Mauricio Pochettino’s pressing system, with the 19-year-old scoring goals against both Leicester City and Aston Villa during his first season of top-flight football.
Alli now looks a potential pick for England’s Euro 2016 squad, and despite effectively losing his place to him in the team, midfielder Ryan Mason is a fan, telling the London Evening Standard:
“He’s a grounded lad, he’s doing well. He has the right people around him with the gaffer, the management staff and the players to keep him level-headed and keep him playing well.”
2. Hector Bellerin, Arsenal
9 of 10
Very few Arsenal fans would have predicted the staggering rise Hector Bellerin has enjoyed over the past year, with the Spanish right-back going from promising youngster to one of the first names on Arsene Wenger’s teamsheet.
His express pace adds yet another element to the multi-layered facets of the Gunners’ attacks, as he showed recently with a terrific burst forward and cross for Mesut Ozil to score the second goal in the 2-0 win over Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium.
A position in Spain’s Euro 2016 squad shouldn’t be ruled out just yet, with Daily Telegraph journalist Jeremy Wilson raving about the youngster following his display in Arsenal’s recent win over Watford, writing:
"[Mathieu] Debuchy now cannot get into the team and Bellerin looks good enough to play for Arsenal for the next decade.
There are times when [Arsene] Wenger’s lack of short-term thinking and willingness to just pragmatically get the job done is infuriating. There are other moments, though, when credit for his bold managerial style is due. Last season’s handling of Bellerin is one such occasion.
"
1. Anthony Martial, Manchester United
10 of 10
But if the Golden Boy award is to go to a Premier League player, then Manchester United’s Anthony Martial is probably the man with the greatest chance of success.
The 19-year-old Frenchman has made concerns over his age and price tag look somewhat foolish following his summer move from Monaco and has quickly established himself as a key part of Louis van Gaal’s side as United fans thrive to see their team demonstrate more thrust going forward.
Scoring a fine goal on his debut against Liverpool was a great way to introduce himself to his new fans, and Martial only looks like getting better and better.
Manager Louis van Gaal is clearly a fan, recently telling Goal.com:
"When you are a 19-year-old you cannot expect consistency — normally you have dips, so I also expect that from him.
So far he has shown his talent is at a high level and he has shown he can play in our system. He has shown he wants to do that and he can do that.
"
