World Cup Best Young Player shortlist announced
Best Young Player shortlist announced
Posted: 2010-07-09 14:29
Ghana midfielder Andre Ayew is in line to win the Fifa 2010 World Cup Young Player award, an honour for the best youngster of the tournament.
Fifa's technical study group today announced the shortlist for the Hyundai Best Young Player award consisting of the three best young players in this year's World Cup. The award continues the tradition of officially recognizing the positive impact made by young footballers and is open to all participating players born on or after 1 January 1989.
The final winner will be selected by the technical study group and announced on FIFA.com after the Final. The winner will receive the coveted trophy and a new Hyundai Tucson IX 35. Ghana's Andre Ayew, Germany's Thomas Mueller and Giovani Dos Santos of Mexico will battle it out for the award.
Fifa says: "These burgeoning young stars may have been relatively unknown before the opening ceremony in Johannesburg, but there is little doubt that the three nominated for the prestigious Hyundai Best Young Player Award shortlist can become household names for many years to come... all three of the young players shortlisted today have demonstrated exceptional skills during the tournament as well as youthful and refreshing playing styles combined with tactical maturity. Furthermore, their creativity has served as an inspiration to all and earned fan recognition for their performances."
What Fifa's technical study group says of the youngsters:
Thomas Mueller: "Mueller's rapid rise through the senior football ranks has been nothing short of remarkable. A fringe player with his club Bayern Munich just two seasons ago and with a first international cap coming only in March of this year (presciently, a friendly against Argentina), the 20-year-old striker has captured the imagination of fans everywhere with his pulsating approach play and vital goals (4) and assists (3)."
Giovani Dos Santos: "Still only 21, Dos Santos is one of the most famous faces in the Mexico squad. 'Gio' burst on to the scene aged 16 when he showed prodigious technique and vision in helping Mexico to victory in the Fifa Under-17 World Cup in Peru in 2005. The super-nimble young forward has become a key cog in the attractive Tricolor team and looks sure to be around for years to come."
Andre Ayew: "The son of Black Stars legend Abedi Pele, 'Dede' Ayew is used to living his young life in the footballing spotlight and he has handled the attention with great poise. He already became a world champion with the Under-20s last year. As an attacking midfielder, Ayew has become an important part of Ghana's playing system with a successful pass rate of 85 per cent."
: 2010-07-09 15:51
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