How much do you know about the 6 Englishmen on the Golden Boy shortlist?
And could any of them challenge for the trophy?
A list of 25 contenders have been drawn up for the 2017 Golden Boy award, a prize run by Italian newspaper Tuttosport that looks to reward the best European footballer under 21 years of age.
There’s plenty of overseas talent on the shortlist, but it might surprise you to learn that there are six England footballers on the list, more than any other country.
How much do you know about the country’s best and brightest?
Marcus Rashford
After a year and a half in the limelight, the young striker has scored on his Europa League, Champions League, Premier League and England debuts, and while he doesn’t score bags of goals like Michael Owen did at his age, he is streets ahead of most other players his age.
Dominic Solanke
Solanke scored four goals as England won the under-20 World Cup this summer, and spent the season on-loan with Vitesse Arnhem in 2015-16, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll fulfil his potential with the Reds – he certainly has a long career in which to prove himself.
Joe Gomez
That he has been shortlisted though is testament to the impression the 20-year-old has made in a short space of time made shorter by a 15-month absence due to a knee injury.
A young defender, Gomez has just three Premier League appearances, but appeared for Charlton’s under-18s as a 13-year-old, and won the 2014 under-17 European Championships with England.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
The 20-year-old, who used to play for Sheffield United before moving to Everton, made his first appearance in the Toffees’ win at home to Arsenal in December 2016, before injury ruled him out for two months.
He returned with a maiden goal against Hull City however, and has been backed with a contract all the way until 2022 – Everton certainly think he has a big future.
Kyle Walker-Peters
Another member of the under-20 World Cup-winning England side, Walker-Peters played 90 minutes in the final as well as the preceding four games of the tournament.
Reece Oxford
Since then the youngster has made a smattering of West Ham appearances, before a loan move to Reading from January to May earlier this year – his latest move is perhaps his most intriguing though.
Earlier in the summer Oxford moved to Borussia Monchengladbach on a season-long loan deal, as one of what seems a growing English group looking to further themselves abroad – will he return ready to start for the Hammers?
