Juventus star midfielder and former Manchester United man Paul Pogba has won the 2013 Golden Boy award on the back of his breakthrough season for club and country.
The award, handed out to the best player under the age of 21 on an annual basis, was given to the French man ahead of a host of top youngsters plying their trade in Europe.
Pobga was a regular bench warmer at United during his stint at Old Trafford a year and a half ago.
However lady luck smiled on the youngster as his move to Turin has seen him playing an integral part in a star studded Juventus squad winning the Scudetto, breaking into the senior France team and win the Under-20 World Cup.
Pobga’s runner up is red hot Chelsea forward RomeluLukaku who is on loan to Everton.
The prolific goal getter has been in outstanding form during his loan spells at West Brom and now Everton, as well as helping Belgium reach the World Cup finals as a seeded nation.
Exciting Schalke youngster Julian Draxler who is rumoured to be closing in on a big deal linking him to the English Premiership came third ahead of Real Madrid no nonsense Raphael Varane and Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian defender Marquinhos.
Arsenal, a club known for producing exciting young talent lived to its billing chipping in with three youngsters who made it to the 25 men shortlist; (Yaya Sanogo in sixth, Serge Gnabry in 16th and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain in 24th) while Man Utd’s Adnan Januzaj is the highest-ranked 18-year-old in seventh.
Surprisingly, the big guns of European football Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund did not have players who made it to the shortlist.
Pogba – the first Frenchman to win the Golden Boy – spoke after being given the award about his “golden year” and said he wants to win everything possible under Juve gaffer Antonio Conte.
Last year’s winner of the 11-year-old prize was attacking midfielder Isco, who has since left Malaga for Real Madrid.
Previous winners of the award include Lionel Messi (2005), Man United’s Anderson (2008), Mario Balotelli (2010) and Mario Gotze (2011)
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