The winners of the Golden Boy Award did not live up to their promise

In addition to the golden ball, a similar award is also given to the youngest footballers. It is called the Golden Boy. Based on this award, fans analyze the best soccer prediction sites and believe that these are the future stars of football. Many of them do reach the heights.

However, several players should have become stars, but never developed into adult football. The reasons for this were different. Let’s look at the top winners in this category, who never managed to reveal themselves at the adult level.

Anderson

This midfielder at Manchester United was considered a future replacement for Paul Scholes. Such a comparison was about a very small number of players. Anderson managed to play many games for the Red Devils and even won the Champions League with them.

When he won the Golden Boy award, fans labeled him a quality guarantor and predicted a long and successful career. However, he played over 180 games for Manchester United in 7 years, but he never became a consistent starting player. As a result, he went to Internacional. But even in Brazil, he was unable to regain his former condition. Then there was a loan to Coritiba where for six months he did not play. As a result, he finished his career in the second Turkish division.

Alexandre Pato

In the year he was presented with this award Pato’s rivals were:

• Gareth Bale;
• Toni Kroos;
• Eden Hazard;
• Thomas Muller;
• Aaron Ramsey;
• Theo Walcott.

Each of them has performed much better in adult football. Although Pato initially performed well at Milan. His first season was played to perfection. Fans often made over 1.5 football predictions when he was in the starting line-up and said that he was a great replacement for Andriy Shevchenko. However, several difficult injuries destroyed his confidence. Pato eventually moved to Brazil, and later tried to return to Europe to Chelsea and Villarreal, but from there he went to China and finished his career in his homeland. In the end, his rival’s career turned out much better.

Mario Balotelli

The incredible Italian talent immediately began to show his difficult character. Portals of xGscore.io level couldn’t help but notice his arrogance towards other footballers. His main rival for the Golden Boy title was Jack Wilshire, but Super Mario simply ridiculed him and said that he had never heard of him. In the end, his rival’s career turned out many times better.

Balotelli was eaten up by star disease. He was arrogant to those around him, the training process, and his teammates. He was chased out of teams everywhere despite his talent. Manchester City put up with his antics for two and a half years. Milan couldn’t take it after a year and a half. Liverpool put up with him for a year and loaned him out to Milan.

Then there was a voyage to France where it seemed he began to return to the former level. But the next scandals with coaches (including Villiers with whom they were even teammates) sent him to Turkey. From there he fled to Switzerland and this year he returned to Italy, signing a contract with Genoa. But the new coach of the team has already become Vieira and it is not clear how Mario’s career will develop.

Renato Sanches

European Champion, Portuguese Champion, and Portuguese Cup winner. These are hardly the achievements of a weak player. But certainly not the best center-half in Europe, which Renato Sanches was considered to be. After a successful season, he moved to Bayern. But he failed to become a main squad player there. Then he went to Swansea, where it got even worse.

Then there was a transfer to Lille, where he got injured and after it healed he moved to Benfica. But even in his homeland at a top club, he is a replacement player. Moreover, he continues to collect injuries regularly. They were the reason why Sanches failed to perform to his maximum potential. Now he is already 27 and it is unlikely that he will still have chances to show himself as a top footballer.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, the Golden Boy award does not automatically make a player a top star. Many footballers have become legends without receiving it. But it is also important to realize that for footballers especially when they are young, it is important to keep your head fresh and firm. Otherwise, the star disease will take hold of you just like some young footballers with excellent talent.