Anderson, Alexandre Pato, Mario Balotelli and Mario Gotze among former Golden Boy winners and as Renato Sanches’ form takes big dip, we ask: is award cursed?
Portuguese ace beat off competition from Marcus Rashford for gong, but now finds himself often on Bayern Munich bench
Sponsored by
RENATO SANCHES won the Golden Boy award this year after starring for Portugal at Euro 2016, but is he the latest victim of the gong's supposed curse?
The honour has been handed out by since 2003 — and is equivalent to the Ballon d’Or for players under the age of 21.
Sanches beat off competition from the likes of Marcus Rashford and Dele Alli to win the award, but can't get a game for Bayern Munich after his big-money move from Benfica.
Keep up to date with ALL the Bayern Munich news, gossip and transfers on our club page
We take a look back at previous winners, and analyse the questionable success many subsequently enjoyed.
All 13 winners are still active.
Rafael van der Vaart, Ajax — 2003
Youngest-ever player to captain a Champions League club until 2015 — and was tipped to be a star.
Despite a decent career, Van der Vaart probably expected to achieve more.
After leaving Ajax, he played for Hamburg (twice), Real Madrid, Tottenham and Real Betis, before moving to FC Midtjylland in the summer.
Wayne Rooney, Everton/Manchester United — 2004
Not everybody’s cup of tea at the moment — but there’s surely no doubting his success.
Rooney has won five Premier League titles, a Champions League, is top goal scorer for England and four off achieving the same record at United. He is captain of his country and skippered club to FA Cup success.
Narrowly beat future team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo after Euro 2004 and has since broken the Red Devils' goal scoring record.
Lionel Messi, Barcelona — 2005
Erm…he’s not done badly, has he?
The Golden Boy award set the standard for Messi. He has since won the Ballon d’Or a record FIVE times.
The Argentine is considered by many to be the greatest footballer to have ever played the game.
Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal — 2006
Undoubtedly a talent — but a success? Fabregas failed to win a trophy with Arsenal.
He filled his cabinet with medals at Barcelona — but not the Champions League — Chelsea and with the Spanish national side.
Was shipped out of the Nou Camp and now finds himself on the bench under Antonio Conte, despite his fantastic vision and passing range.
Sergio Aguero, Atletico Madrid — 2007
Another whose success cannot be questioned.
Is a hero to all Manchester City fans for his last-gasp goal which clinched the 2012 Premier League title — and will certainly be remembered as an English football great.
Aguero was a star at Atletico Madrid, who could have moved to any club in the world.
Anderson, Manchester United — 2008
“How?” we hear you ask — well, believe it or not, there was a point where he was pretty good.
United thought they’d signed the best prospect in football when they paid Porto £20million for Anderson in the summer of 2007.
And, after a fairly bright star, he soon dipped in form, ballooned in weight and went off the radar. Currently at Internacional.
Alexandre Pato, AC Milan — 2009
At this point, his talent was unquestionable — he had ripped Real Madrid apart at the Bernabeu.
However, his form dipped so rapidly, he didn’t even make Brazil’s 2010 World Cup squad.
Returned to his homeland and then had a stint at Chelsea last season, but it was a disaster.
Moved to Villarreal but left to join Chinese Super League side, Tianjin Quanjian.
Related Stories
Mario Balotelli, Inter Milan/Manchester City — 2010
How can someone so talented have fallen so low?
Balotelli had the world at his feet when he moved to the Premier League — and showed early flashes of genius.
However, subsequent failures at AC Milan (twice) and Liverpool have seen him given one last chance to save his career with Nice in France.
Mario Gotze, Borussia Dortmund — 2011
Once dubbed the most talented player to come out of Germany, Bayern Munich broke the national transfer fee to sign him.
Gotze even scored the winner in the 2014 World Cup final — however, it was by coming off the bench, as he had become just a squad player.
Returned to Dortmund in the summer after an extremely underwhelming three-year stint in Bavaria and again finds himself a frequent sub.
Isco, Malaga — 2012
Real Madrid thought they’d bought the hottest property in Spanish football when they signed Isco a year later.
Again, he started well but has struggled to nudge the likes of Luka Modric, Casemiro and Toni Kroos out of the team.
But Isco has decided to leave the Bernabeu and is not short of suitors — but has he fulfilled his potential?
Paul Pogba, Juventus — 2013
French superstar famously left Old Trafford on a free transfer and blossomed into one of the world’s finest midfielders at Juventus.
In his four years with the Turin giants, he won the title in every season.
Pogba returned to United for a world-record fee and, after a slow start, seems to have found his feet..
Raheem Sterling, Liverpool — 2014
Had the world at his feet when he won this award — and then Man City made his most expensive English player of all-time at £49m.
Presumably burdened by the fee, he struggled at the Etihad, and carried his poor form through to Euro 2016.
Sterling initially appeared reborn under Pep Guardiola and showed arguably the best form of his career — but, like his club, soon dipped.
Anthony Martial, Manchester United — 2015
FRENCHMAN arrived at Old Trafford for a mega fee — but very few people had ever heard of him.
However, Martial went from strength-to-strength after scoring on his debut, and sent United to the FA Cup final with a stoppage time semi-final winner.
His form dipped dramatically at the start of the season but, good management from Jose Mourinho has seen him back to his best.