The ‘Golden Boy’ of European soccer has been crowned. All hail Raheem Sterling.
On Saturday, Sterling was named as the young player considered to have performed to the highest level throughout Europe in 2014.
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Originally dished out by Italian media outlet Tuttosport, the prestigious award is voted for by leading publications around Europe and Liverpool’s 20-year-old winger has come out on top.
The attacker is the Reds’ leading scorer in the 2014-15 season with five goals and was a huge part of Liverpool’s incredible title charge last season which saw them come up just short. Currently locked in contract talks over a new deal at Anfield, plenty of Europe’s biggest teams are rumored to be sniffing around Sterling. With Brendan Rodgers eager to tie Sterling down to a new deal, his star player winning this award may have a detrimental impact on his future with Liverpool as the Reds are struggling to get a top four spot after a poor start to the current campaign. Let’s see if the English winger sticks around, long-term, at Anfield.
Sterling is in good company when it comes to past winners, as the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Wayne Rooney (the only other English winner back in 2004), Paul Pogba, Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero have all been ‘Golden Boys’ at one point in their career.
English youngsters Luke Shaw, Eric Dier, Calum Chambers and John Stones were also in the running for the award but Sterling beat them to it after excelling in the 2013-14 campaign for Liverpool and becoming England’s main man at the 2014 World Cup.
The future is bright for Liverpool and England, as their pacey winger is officially the hottest young talent in European soccer.