Manchester United striker Anthony Martial has been named the 2015 Golden Boy. This is a reward which is given to the best under-21 player in the top flight of one of Europe’s top tiers.
The reward is voted for by members of the European press – including Tuttosport (founder of the award – Italy), Bild (Germany), De Telegraaf (The Netherlands), l’Equipe (France), Marca (Spain) and The Times (United Kingdom).
Every voting body nominates five players – awarding ten points to their preferred winner, seven their second, five the third and so on.
The first winner of this, now prestigious, accolade was Rafael van der Vaart back in 2003, who won it as an Ajax player. Van der Vaart went on to play for Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid, amongst others.
The most recent winners were Paul Pogba (2013, Juventus) and Raheem Sterling (2014, Liverpool). Other winners include Real Madrid’s Isco Alarcon, Bayern’s Mario Gotze (then at Dortmund) and Argentina’s Lionel Messi.
Anthony Martial has scored fourteen goals in fifty-two appearances this calendar year, spanning Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Premier League, Champions League, League Cup and international friendly games with AS Monaco, the French national team and Manchester United.
The award, however, is not solely based on goals – Martial has been one of United’s most consistent players since signing in the most recent transfer window and his performances have not gone unnoticed. He only recently made his debut for Les Bleus, but has already forced his way into contention for a spot in the upcoming European Championships in France.
Two Manchester United players have been crowned Golden Boy in the past. Wayne Rooney scooped the prize in 2004 whilst Anderson won it in 2008 after playing a crucial part in the Red Devils Premier League and Champions League double-winning season that year.
When looking at the list of previous winners (bar Anderson, but injuries were the death of his potential), it is hard to argue that Anthony Martial isn’t destined for greatness – and this is one tiny, tiny step towards it.
