Alex Iwobi has been placed on the shortlist for the 2016 Golden Boy award. The prestigious trophy is given to the most promising young player in Europe and has previously been won by Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, and Cesc Fabregas (via ESPN).
It’s one of the benchmarks to judge the best young players in the world today so it’s a good sign that Alex Iwobi is considered amongst them. The Golden Boy award is voted for by press from across Europe and is usually a sign that a player is going to become world class.
Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, and Wayne Rooney are some previous winners but it admittedly isn’t a guarantee. Mario Balotelli and Anderson have both won the award.
The 2016 shortlist has been announced and it features Arsenal man Alex Iwobi. The Nigerian is in good company alongside some of the other breakout stars of the year including Marcus Rashford and Renato Sanches.
Sanches is the runaway favourite for the award following his impressive performance for Portugal in the European Championships and transfer to Bayern Munich. Dele Alli and Marcus Rashford round off the top three according to the majority of bookmakers.
It’s a much-contested trophy that is usually a sign that a player is doing something right. Even getting a place on the shortlist is an achievement so Alex Iwobi can be pleased with his 2016. The way the Nigerian is playing right now he might even go one better and win the whole thing next year.