Ranking the Top 10 U-21 players in Europe: Who will win the Golden Boy award?

2) Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan)

Gianluigi Donnarumma

Country: Italy

Position: Goalkeeper

Age: 18

Can you imagine being named in the matchday squad of the senior team when you're only 15 years old? It's the stuff of dreams and Gianluigi Donnarumma lived it!

To take it up a notch, he then made his Serie A debut aged 16 years and 242 days. He had supplanted veteran goalkeeper Diego Lopez as the no.1 choice and the goalkeeper who stands at 6'5" has never looked back since.

At 17, he was playing for the Italy U-21 team. He had even made the squad for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship where the Azzurri reached the semi-finals.

Comparisons with Gianluigi Buffon obviously followed as the Juventus man had also made his debut as a teenager (with Parma) and before long he became his deputy in the Italian national team as well.

"He really is a goalkeeper who is proving himself to be something different from the others. He’s an exception. Like all exceptions, he’s young and advancing very quickly." - Gianluigi Buffon

This could be Buffon's final season before he hangs up his boots (and gloves?). The 2018 World Cup could be his final tournament. He will be 40 in January.

But once he retires, Italy will still be in the safe hands of 'Gigi'.