Reece Oxford is just one Premier League starlet to miss out on a nomination for the UEFA Golden Boy award.
West Ham’s Reece Oxford snubbed for Golden Boy
For those with less knowledge of the prize dubbed “the under-21 Ballon D’or,” the Golden boy award is a prestigious prize presented to the most outstanding young player plying their trade in the top tier of a European national league.
For the 2016 instalment of the gong the nominees must be born after the cut-off date 1 January 1996.
Since its inception in 2003, a 40-man annual shortlist is complied by a panel of 30 journalists from national publications across Europe including The Times (UK) and Bild (Germany).
Previous winners include Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, Paul Pogba, Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero and last years winner Anthony Martial.
But what of the omissions? Which precocious talents have been overlooked in the run-in to this year’s award? We take a look at two players who could have made the cut.
REECE OXFORD (WEST HAM)
West Ham’s Reece Oxford was not nominated for UEFA’s Golden Boy
West Ham’s whizkid broke onto the scene last season becoming the club’s youngest-ever-player at 16 years and 198 days. Oxford then became the second-youngest player to start a Premier League game at 16 years and 237 days.
His performance against Arsenal gained the nation’s attention, as he put on a stellar display frustrating and nullifying the powers of Mesut Ozil, and his performance drew comparisons to a young Rio Ferdinand.
In all, the young Hammer made 12 first-team outings for Slaven Bilic’s side last term, an impressive achievement for a young lad plucked from the obscurity of youth team football.
Oxford has attracted the attention of Premier League heavyweights Manchester City and United according to the Daily Mirror. One thing is for sure he is one of English football’s brightest prospects.
MAHMOUD DAHOUD (BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH)
Borrusia Monchengladbach’s Mahmoud Dahoud has attracted interest from Juventus and Liverpool
The Borussia Monchengladbach starlet has already become a mainstay for his club side since breaking into the team last season. Dahoud has also featured at international youth level, where he has already made four appearance for Germany’s under-21 side.
The youngster, who joined Monchengladbach as a 14-year-old, became a fixture last season, scoring on five times and making 41 appearances in all competitions. Monchengladbach reached fourth in the Bundesliga, and his statistics spoke for themselves, over the past term he boasted a 81% passing accuracy.
The Syrian-born central midfielder is known for his energetic and assertive nature and it it this energy while pressing which squeezes the opposition out of possession. The Liverpool Echo claims his tireless displays have attracted attention from across Europe with Italian champions Juventus and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool linked with the £25 million German.
Mahmoud Dahoud
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