Barcelona ace beats Man Utd stars to prestigious award previously won by Rooney | OneFootball

Barcelona ace Lamine Yamal has beaten Manchester United wonderkids Alejandro Garnacho, Lenny Yoro and Kobbie Mainoo to the prestigious Golden Boy award.

The award is conferred by the revered Italian outlet Tuttosport on the best U21 player in a calendar year as determined by selected journalists.

Wayne Rooney, Antony Martial and Anderson are the only United players to have won the award.

The trio, alongside Raheem Sterling and Cesc Fabregas, are the only players to have won it while playing for a Premier League club.

Garnacho was excellent last season, bagging ten goals across all competitions. He has not done badly this term, registering seven goals in 19 games.

Yoro is considered one of Europe’s best young centre-backs, and United grabbed the bull by the horns to sign him last summer.

He is yet to make his official debut for the Red Devils due to injury but is back in training ahead of the Europa League clash with Bodo/Glimt.

Mainoo has enjoyed a meteoric rise as a United player, having broken into the first team last season.

He quickly established himself in the starting line-up, recording 24 starts in the Premier League and five in the FA Cup.

Injuries have restricted him to just eight games across all competitions, and his return could be a big boost for new manager Ruben Amorim.

It is not surprising to see Yamal beat the United trio to the award following his exploits for Barcelona and Spain.

Despite playing in a mediocre Barcelona side last term, the Spain international emerged as one of the best players in Europe. He recorded seven goals and nine assists in 50 games in his first season as a professional.

He then went on to play a significant role in helping Spain clinch the 2024 European championship ahead of England, notching a goal and four assists in the competition.

Yamal has continued to be decisive for Barcelona this campaign, averaging almost a goal involvement per game, managing six goals and eight assists in 16 games.

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