Portuguese teenager, Renato Sanches, has added another feather to his cap by winning the Golden Boy award. This comes after his impressive showing at the Euros, where he helped his national side, Portugal win their first major competition.
The Bayern Munich player follows in the footsteps of previous winners such as Englishman, Wayne Rooney and Argentinian striker, Sergio Aguero.
Also Read: Top 10 contenders for the 2016 Golden Boy award
The teenage forward beat nominees such as Marcus Rashford of Manchester United and Gianluigi Donnarumma of AC Milan, among others. The eligibility for this award are:
- - To be the most impressive youngster during a calendar year, i.e. two halves to two separate seasons.
- - The nominees must be under the age of 21 and must play in the top tier of European club football.
- The award which was started by Italian newspaper Tuttosport in the year 2003, now comprises of many other newspapers from other European nations like Mundo Deportivo and Marca from Spain, Bild from Germany, The Times from United Kingdom and, L’Equipe and France Football from France.
The representatives from these media outlets act as jurors. These jurors are then allowed to nominate five players, with 10 points to the player that they perceive as the most impressive, 7 for the second, 5 third, 3 fourth, and 1 point for fifth most impressive.
Club and Country Form
The 19-year-old has put in stellar performances well beyond his years. The former Benfica player joined Bayern Munich in the summer in a deal totalling €80 million, with €35 million upfront and an additional €45 million on the fulfilment of certain objectives.
Noted for his versatility, the teenager is comfortable in defensive and attacking roles. These attributes were on display in the Euros when he became the youngest Portuguese player to start in a major tournament, breaking Christiano Ronaldo’s record. He then went on to score in the quarter-finals, announcing his presence on the big stage.
The youngster’s calm nature has earned him praise from senior players in the side namely, Jose Fonte and Nani. His boundless energy, stamina and his passing are his key footballing traits.
Also Read: Renato Sanches reveals why he snubbed Manchester United
Sanches has endured an injury-hit start to his Bayern career and after recovering from a thigh injury, made his debut against Schalke 04. His poor performance in the game led to him being substituted.
Omar Hitzfield, the former Bayern coach has spoken out in favour of the youngster stating, "Let's not forget that he is still only 19. His age will have something to do with his difficult start.
The coach further went on to state how the youngster will have to deal with the pressure of playing for Bayern, “He did not join just any Bundesliga club. He joined Bayern. He will have to get used to the stiff competition for places, and I think it is only normal that he needs a bit of time. In addition to that, he was injured when he arrived at Bayern and he joined for a big transfer fee -- that always leads to high expectations.”
