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The Golden Boy award is one of the most prestigious ones a young player can win in their career. Players under the age of 21 who play in any top division across Europe are eligible for the award.
It was established in 2003 by Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport as a vote-based system where selected journalists picked the winner. Since then, other renowned newspapers across Europe such as L'Equipe (France), Marca (Spain) and The Times (England) have participated in the voting.
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From all the nominees, each juror must pick five for the final Golden Boy list, whom they must rank from one to five. The top-ranked player receives ten points, while seven points are awarded for the second-ranked player, five for third, three for fourth and one point for the fifth.
Rafael van der Vaart of Ajax was the first winner of the inaugural Golden Boy award in 2003. Other notable Golden Boy winners include Lionel Messi (2005), Cesc Fabregas (2006), Sergio Aguero (2007) and more recently, Kylian Mbappe (2017) and Erling Haaland (2020).
Pedri was awarded the 2021 Golden Boy award for his stunning year with Spain and Barcelona.
However, there have been some winners of the Golden Boy award who have faded away over the years. These youngsters made bright starts to their careers, but injury, lack of hunger and poor attitude plagued them.
On that note, here's a look at five such players who have disappointed after winning the Golden Boy award:
#5 Anderson (Manchester United and Brazil)
Anderson began his career in Brazil, coming through the youth ranks at Gremio. He caught the eye of scouts when his goal against Nautico earned Gremio promotion to the Brazilian Serie A in 2005. Thanks to his exploits, Anderson was snapped up by Portuguese giants Porto in 2006, where he made a name for himself as one of Europe's top talents.
After 18 successful, trophy-laden months in Portugal, Anderson was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United for a hefty £28 million in 2007. The Brazilian made a telling impact on his arrival, making 38 appearances in his first season and dishing out two assists.
Anderson's dynamism and strength in midfield allowed other attackers to flourish and dominate the game. He was key in United's rotation, as they competed for silverware on multiple fronts. His performances this season earned Anderson the Golden Boy award in 2008.
Anderson went on to win four Premier League titles and the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League with Manchester United, among other honours. However, after Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, the Brazilian midfielder found himself out of favour and became surplus to requirements.
That led to a dip in form, and the former Golden Boy winner eventually moved to Internacional in 2015. He played for a few other clubs before retiring in 2019, just 11 years after being named Europe's top young player. It was truly a fall from grace.
#4 Mario Gotze (Borussia Dortmund and Germany)
Mario Gotze was the name on every German football fan's lips in the early 2010s. He came through the ranks at Borussia Dortmund before he was handed his senior debut in 2009 by current Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Gotze went on to play for Dortmund till 2013 before moving to Bayern Munich for three years, only to return to Signal Iduna Park in 2016. The German had a lacklustre four-year second spell with Dortmund, and was released by the club in 2020.
He then signed for PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands the same year in a bid to resurrect his once-promising career.
Mario Gotze had a remarkable run of form during his first spell at Borussia Dortmund, though. He was instrumental in their Bundesliga triumph in the 2010-11 season, scoring five and providing a stunning 15 assists in 33 appearances. Gotze's performances earned him the Golden Boy award at the end of 2011.
He scored six goals and provided five assists in 17 appearances in what was an injury-stricken 2011-12 campaign for Dortmund. Nevertheless, the Golden Boy winner played his part in consecutive Bundesliga triumphs for BvB.
The 2011 Golden Boy became a national hero for Germany when he netted the winning goal for Die Mannschaft against Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final.
However, due to persistent injury problems, Gotze's career never really took off as expected, with his special performances coming in sporadic bursts rather than in a torrent.
Gotze currently plays for PSV, where he's striving to help them win the Eredivisie title.
#3 Anthony Martial (AS Monaco/Manchester United and France)
Former Golden Boy winner Anthony Martial began his career at Lyon in 2013. He then earned a €6-million move to Monaco the same year, where he spent two successful seasons. It was the 2014-15 campaign that thrust him into stardom, though.
The then 18-year-old Martial scored 12 goals and provided five assists in a remarkable 48 appearances for Monaco that season. His contributions helped Monaco finish a respectable third in Ligue 1, having only been promoted to the division in 2013.
They also topped their UEFA Champions League group that year, finishing ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, Zenit Saint Petersburg and Benfica. Monaco also produced one of the biggest upsets in the knockouts when they beat Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium.
Anthony Martial had a stunning year in 2015, and won the Golden Boy award. That caught the attention of Manchester United, who bought the Golden Boy winner in a deal rising up to £58 million that year.
The 2015 Golden Boy winner had a strong debut season in England, scoring 17 goals and dishing out nine assists in 49 appearances across competitions. That included a stunning solo goal on his debut against United's fierce rivals Liverpool.
However, managerial changes at Manchester United meant there were several incomings and outgoings at the club. Martial has found himself out of favour over the last few seasons.
He has made eight appearances this season, and will hope to make his way back into the squad under interim manager Michael Carrick.
#2 Alexandre Pato (AC Milan and Brazil)
Alexandre Pato was a teenage sensation with blistering pace and a keen eye for goal. He showed glimpses of previous Brazilian greats such as Ronaldo Nazario and Rivaldo. However, injuries and a lack of discipline meant Pato never made it that far.
Having begun his career as a youth player at Internacional in 2000, Pato debuted for the Brazilian club in 2006 aged just 16. He scored 12 goals in 27 appearances, helping the club win the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup.
That helped him earn a move to AC Milan in 2007. In 2009, Pato scored 18 goals in 42 games across competitions, winning the Golden Boy award and the Serie A Young Footballer of the Year accolade too
He reached further heights with Milan, helping them win the Serie A title in the 2010-11 season, scoring 14 goals in 25 games. Pato was the team's top scorer that season. He produced a tunning moment in the Champions League against Barcelona that season:
After inconsistent spells in the first team and plagued by injuries, Pato lost the edge that separated him from the rest.
He returned to his native Brazil to play for Corinthians in 2013 before moving to Sao Paolo the following year. He has since had multiple short and unsuccessful spells at various clubs, including Chelsea and Villarreal. However, the former Golden Boy winner has failed to make any real impact.
Alexandre Pato currently plays for Orlando City SC in the MLS after his career in Europe did not materialise as expected.
#1 Mario Balotelli (Inter Milan/Manchester City and Italy)
Mario Balotelli is a classic example of what can happen to a young player who performs well at the biggest level, but doesn't have the right temperament. Just ask Jose Mourinho.
The Italian striker had two unsuccessful trials at Barcelona before joining Inter Milan in 2007, where Roberto Mancini handed him his debut. Balotelli went on to face several disciplinary issues throughout his career in Italy and England. He played for both Milan clubs, as well as Manchester City and Liverpool.
However, the striker scored some iconic goals, including a memorable strike against Manchester United while at City:
He also scored a wonderful goal for Italy against Germany in the 2012 UEFA European Championship semi-final:
In 2009-10, Balotelli scored 11 goals and assisted nine in 40 appearances across competitions, winning the Golden Boy award in 2010.
However, due to his flashy lifestyle, distractions off the pitch and indiscipline on it, Mario Balotelli did not reach the heights he showed brief glimpses of reaching.
