The 100-man shortlist for the 2022 Golden Boy award has been revealed, with Liverpool and youngsters among the nominees.
The award recognises the best under-21 players in the world, with the shortlist set to be slowly cut down over the next few months before the winner is unveiled at the end of the year.
In all, 10 Premier League players have been nominated, including United forwards Amad Diallo and Anthony Elanga, as well as Liverpool duo Harvey Elliot and Fabio Carvalho, the latter having just signed for the Reds from Fulham.
The other names from England’s top-flight are Wolves pair Fabio Silva and Ki-Jana Hoever, Leeds’ Joe Gelhardt, ’s Yan Couto, Tottenham’s Pape Matar Sarr and Brighton’s Kacper Kozlowski, although the latter three are yet to make a senior appearance for their respective clubs.
Borussia Dortmund and England midfielder Jude Bellingham is one of the favourites for the award, with Elliott, Gelhardt and PSV’s Noni Madueke the only other English nominees, while Bologna defender Aaron Hickey, who has been linked with a move to Arsenal, is the sole nominee for Scotland.
Bellingham will face stiff competition for the trophy from the likes of Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga, Barcelona’s Gavi and Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala.
They’ll be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Barcelona midfielder Pedri who emerged victorious last year, with past winners also including Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Aguero, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
United have actually produced the most winners of the award since its inception in 2003, courtesy of forwards Wayne Rooney and Antony Martial and midfielder Anderson, while Raheem Sterling is Liverpool’s only recipient of the Golden Boy.
The winner is chosen by a mix of votes on the website of organisers Tuttosport and a range of European journalists, and should be announced in November.
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