Where are the 19 Golden Boy winners now and how did they get on after winning prestigious trophy including Pato and Co
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IT RECOGNISES the best footballer under the age of 21 playing in Europe.
And the Golden Boy award is a stunning predictor of a player’s success in later years.
Some of the greatest talents ever to have graced the game have picked up the gong as youngsters in Europe’s top leagues.
The award was first handed out by Italian sports daily Tuttosport back in 2003 - although judging is now shared by a host of European journalists.
So where are the 19 winners of the prestigious trophy now? SunSport dusts off the archives to find out.
2003: RAFAEL VAN DER VAART
The Netherlands legend was an Ajax youngster when he became the first ever winner of the Golden Boy award.
Stints at the likes of Real Madrid, Tottenham and Hamburg followed before retirement took him onto the oche and behind the mic as an outspoken pundit.
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2004: WAYNE ROONEY
Manchester United’s record goalscorer enjoyed a breakout year at Everton and then United back in 2004.
He won it all at Old Trafford before heading back to Goodison and then stateside with DC United.
Now retired, Wazza is attempting to work a miracle and keep Derby from the drop after multiple points deductions.
2005: LIONEL MESSI
The Argentina superstar has a claim to be one of the greatest players ever to play the game.
After 778 competitive appearances and 672 goals for boyhood Barcelona, Messi is now attempting to lead Paris Saint-Germain to the Champions League crown their Qatari owners so covet.
2006: CESC FABREGAS
Like Messi, another product of Barcelona famed La Masia youth academy. But by 2006 Fabregas was a first-choice at Arsenal.
Stints back at Barca, Chelsea and Monaco followed as the playmaker retired a World Cup and European Championship winner with Spain.
2007: SERGIO AGUERO
He immortalised himself with THAT goal as Manchester City knocked local rivals United off their perch back in 2012.
Aguero was an Atletico Madrid player when he won the Golden Boy five years earlier. But 2022 brought with it a premature retirement from Barcelona due to heart problems.
2008: ANDERSON
2008 was quite the year for Man United’s Brazil boy wonder Anderson.
A Champions League crown followed by the Golden Boy award capped a standout year, but injuries hampered his progress shortly after at Old Trafford.
2009: ALEXANDRE PATO
A year later and it was another Brazilian wonderkid picking up the award - this time AC Milan’s Alexandre Pato.
Like Anderson, his best years were early in his career and he failed to have an impact during a short loan spell at Chelsea in January 2016.
2010: MARIO BALOTELLI
Undoubtedly the biggest character in the history of Golden Boy winners, Balotelli is just as well remembered for his antics off the pitch as on it.
Once the maverick of Man City, the 31-year-old is now plying his trade at Turkish side Adana Demirspor.
2011: MARIO GOTZE
The Dortmund youngster was one of the brightest prospects of the 2010s. He won the World Cup with Germany in 2014 after sealing his big move to Bayern Munich.
But the attacking midfielder never truly settled in Bavaria and returned to Dortmund three yeas later admitting he regretted his decision to leave.
2012: ISCO
With 2012’s entry, the Golden Boy award went to one of the undoubted stars of the modern game.
Isco was a Malaga player when he picked up the gong a decade ago. Now at Real Madrid, he has four Champions League and two LaLiga titles to his name.
2013: PAUL POGBA
The Man United midfielder could have a decent claim to being the biggest celebrity on the Golden Boy list.
Whether or not he has realised his full potential (World Cup winner’s medal apart), it’s hard to argue with 52million Instagram followers and legions of devoted personal fans.
2014: RAHEEM STERLING
The last Englishman to win the award, Raheem Sterling is now a mainstay of Pep Guardiola’s devastating Man City line-up.
Sterling was a Liverpool player back in 2014 but soon made the switch to the Etihad. Still only 27, who knows how many career titles he’ll hoover up.
2015: ANTHONY MARTIAL
Martial’s Golden Boy award coincided with his big-money move from Monaco to Man United.
At the time he was the most expensive teenager in history, but in January this year he was shipped off on loan to Sevilla.
2016: RENATO SANCHES
Long linked with a Premier League move, Sanches ended up on loan at Swansea having moved to Bayern Munich from Benfica in 2016.
Game time was hard to come by once back at Bayern and in 2019 the Portugal international made a switch to Ligue 1’s Lille.
2017: KYLIAN MBAPPE
Considered by many as the next in line to Lionel Messi’s throne, Mbappe is the most expensive teenager in history.
A Monaco player back in 2017, the France superstar is now at Paris Saint-Germain. Where he plays next season is going to be one of the stories of this summer’s transfer window.
2018: MATTHIJS DE LIGT
A centre-back mature beyond his years, De Ligt was made Ajax captain at the tender age of just 18.
A big money move to Juventus soon followed and the Netherlands international is now being eyed by the likes of Chelsea for a stint in the Premier League.
2019: JOAO FELIX
Felix is still only 22 but has already won titles in Portugal with Benfica and Spain with current club Atletico Madrid.
His transfer from Benfica to Atleti in July 2019 made him the fourth-most expensive footballer of all time and second only behind Mbappe in terms of fees paid for a teenager.
2020: ERLING HAALAND
Tipped to challenge Mbappe as the best player this decade, Haaland is already smashing in goals for fun at Dortmund.
Expect a blockbuster move to any one of Europe’s biggest clubs this summer for the striker nicknamed ‘The Terminator’.
2021: PEDRI
The most recent Golden Boy winner is one of the standout figures in a new generation of outrageously talented La Masia graduates.
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Pedri is rated so highly at Barcelona that the Catalans have inserted a ONE BILLION euro release clause in his contract.
And with the Nou Camp side currently skint, boss Xavi is relying on homegrown stars such as the 19-year-old to lead the famous old club back to glory.
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