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Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland has won the 2020 Golden Boy award after a standout season for both club and country. Haaland beat the likes of Dortmund teammate Jadon Sancho, Ansu Fati, Alphonso Davies, and Mason Greenwood to claim the prestigious U-21 title.
The Golden Boy award was established by Italian news outlet Tuttosport and is given to the best young player under the age of 21 across all of Europe's leagues. The winner is decided through a voting process by a panel of global experts.
Erling Haaland has made a stellar start to life at Dortmund after joining the club in January from RB Salzburg. He arrived at Dortmund with the reputation of being an out-and-out goalscorer. Many fans and pundits expected the Norwegian to take time to adjust to the move, as it was a massive step up from the Austrian league.
Erling Haaland scored 44 goals in across all competitions in the 2019-20 season, 28 of which came for Salzburg before he made the switch to Dortmund. He scored a hat-trick on his debut for Dortmund and went on to score 16 goals in all competitions throughout the remainder of the season.
Erling Haaland pips Borussia Dormtund team-mate Jadon Sancho to win the 2020 Golden Boy award
Erling Haaland has dethroned Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix as the new Golden Boy of Europe, overcoming strong competition to land the prize. He beat Dortmund team-mate Jadon Sancho, who came second last year, Barcelona star Ansu Fati, and Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood.
The Golden Boy award has been won by many young players, who have gone on to have great careers. Juventus center-back Matthijs de Ligt was crowned the winner in 2018, and Kylian Mbappe won the award in 2017. Wayne Rooney, Paul Pogba and Lionel Messi are also former winners of the coveted trophy.
Erling Haaland has already scored eleven goals in eleven games in all competitions this season for Borussia Dortmund, continuing his prolific form in front of goal. The Norwegian's performances has attracted attention from the biggest clubs in Europe, who are all looking to sign him.
Erling Haaland continues to be heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid, as Los Blancos coach Zinedine Zidane is said to be a huge admirer. A move away from Dortmund in January seems unlikely, but Real Madrid are said to be very keen to secure his signature next summer, even though Haaland's father has insisted that his son is happy at Dortmund.
