In the world of football, there is constant talk about the most talented and promising football players who should soon become the brightest stars of this sport. Since 2003, the most talented player in the world has been awarded the "Golden Boy" award, which all footballers aged 20 or younger can aspire to.
But did all the players who received this award become the brightest football stars in the world? As the announcement of the 2017 "Golden Boy" winner approached, Eurofootball.com decided to investigate the careers of all the players who had won this award and who were the most famous players at the time who failed to win this title.
Previously, articles were written about:
2003 - Rafael van der Vaart; 2004 - Wayne Rooney; 2005 - Lionel Messi; 2006 - Cesc Fabregas; 2007 - Sergio Aguero.
Another part of this article - next week.
2008: Anderson
Former team: "Manchester United"
Current team: "Coritiba"
In 2008, the "Golden Boy" award was won for the second consecutive year by a South American representative. However, unlike Sergio Aguero, who won the award the previous year, Anderson failed to meet the expectations placed on him.
Anderson began his career at the "Gremio" youth academy, and in 2004, at just 16 years old, he made his debut in the highest Brazilian league, where he quickly scored his first goal. However, the team had a tough season, and the club had to compete in the country's second league the following year.
In the second Brazilian league, Anderson further showcased his talent - scoring 8 goals in a year, he was also invited to the Brazilian under-17 national team. In the fall of 2005, he and his countrymen finished second in the world under-17 youth championship, where he won the best player of the tournament award.
After an impressive performance in the youth championships, Anderson once again shone in his homeland, in crucial matches for a return to the highest Brazilian league, where Anderson became the hero of the "Gremio" team. In a match that required a victory, Anderson scored a crucial goal that not only brought the team victory but also placed them first in the league and allowed them to return among the country's strongest teams.
Amazing end to the match between "Gremio" and "Nautico":
In January 2006, Anderson was acquired by "Porto" for 7 million euros. However, the player was not yet 18 years old at the time, and according to FIFA regulations, a minor player cannot move to another country unless accompanied by at least one of their parents. These requirements forced Anderson's mother to change her plans and move with the player to Portugal. In the first half-year in the country, he played five matches and celebrated winning the Portuguese league title with the team.
From 2006 to 2007, Anderson felt more comfortable in the "Porto" team and was more often included in the starting lineup not only in local competitions but also in the Champions League. However, his season was disrupted by a serious foul from a "Benfica" player, after which the Brazilian suffered a leg injury. Forced to miss five months of football, he returned at the end of the season and played a total of 20 matches during that period, scoring three goals and making five assists.
On May 30, 2007, "Manchester United" announced that they had reached an agreement with "Porto" on the signing of Anderson to their squad. However, the player did not receive permission to live and work in England due to a lack of matches played for his national team. "Man United" reacted by submitting an appeal, emphasizing that the player's young age had prevented him from playing more matches for the national team, even though his incredible talent was reflected in the impressive transfer fee at the time. Although the "Red Devils" did not disclose the size of the player's buyout, "Porto" later admitted that they received 30 million euros for the player from England. Considering the statements made by "United," Anderson was granted permission to live and work in England after a month, and the player signed a five-year contract with the club. By the way, in that year, the Brazilian's transfer was the third largest in the world, behind only Fernando Torres' move to "Liverpool" and Arjen Robben's transfer to "Real Madrid".
The player easily integrated into the new team - he already knew two Portuguese-speaking players of the team, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani, and he enjoyed the trust of the team management, which gave him the number 8 jersey. In his second match in the "Premier League", after providing an assist for a goal, he did not score more goals in the rest of the season: in 38 matches played, the Brazilian did not score any goals, and in the remaining matches, he improved his assist statistics with just one precise pass to a teammate who scored the goal. However, the player contributed to the team's victory in the Champions League - appearing in extra time, he executed a penalty kick with great precision and helped his team win the prestigious award. This triumph in the championship helped him become the 2008 "Golden Boy" winner.
In the 2008-2009 season, Anderson's role in the team and his results were similar, and he only shined again in a penalty shootout. This time, he scored the crucial penalty in the league cup final against "Tottenham Hotspur". After playing 38 matches again, he made five assists to his teammates.
On September 12, 2009, the Brazilian scored his first goal for "Manchester United" against "Tottenham", breaking a streak of 77 goalless matches since his arrival in England. However, the player had a difficult time that season, as in January 2010, Anderson left for Brazil without manager Alex Ferguson's permission and was fined £80,000, temporarily leaving the main team. Returning to the first team on February 23, he only played for 19 minutes before being forced to leave the field due to injury. After exams, it was revealed that the player would be unable to play for up to six months.
While undergoing treatment for his injury in Brazil, Anderson was involved in another unpleasant incident. The player was stopped early in the morning by the police while driving his Audi R8, and at that time, the 23-year-old player refused to undergo a sobriety test.
In the 2012-2013 season, the Brazilian shone in the English League Cup tournament. Initially, he scored a great goal against "Newcastle United" and made three assists against "Chelsea", but he failed to maintain the lead for his team, and the club faced defeat and was eliminated from the tournament. Despite his promising start to the season, he suffered a knee injury - this time injuring his patella tendon, and even after returning from injury, he did not regain his form demonstrated at the beginning of the season.
For the 2007-2008 season, Mesut Ozil was transferred to "Werder" club for €5 million and played 30 matches, scoring two goals and making five assists.
Over the 2007-2008 season, Mats Hummels was sent on loan to "Borussia" where he played 16 matches.
Angel Di Maria debuted in Europe in the 2007-2008 season with "Benfica", playing 44 matches with one goal and five assists.
In the same season, Alexis Sanchez moved to "Udinese", playing 31 matches with 4 goals.
Gareth Bale moved to "Tottenham Hotspur" in 2007-2008, playing 12 matches with three goals.
Javier Hernandez was still trying to establish himself as a young player. He was part of the "Guadalajara" team.
Robert Lewandowski was playing for "Lech Poznan" in Poland in the 2007-2008 season, scoring 21 goals in 16 matches.
Thomas Muller played for "Bayern" youth team in 2007-2008, focusing on his development as a player.
Marco Reus played for "Rot Weiss Ahlen" in Germany, appearing in 16 matches but without impressive performance.
