Southampton: Saints youngster shortlisted for prestigious football award

Southampton striker Michael Obafemi has been shortlisted for the 2020 edition of the prestigious Golden Boy award.

The award sees Europe’s best talents under the age of 21 nominated, with the overall winner voted for by renowned media outlets and fans across the continent.

The voting process is run by Italian newspaper Tuttosport and you can go and vote for Michael via their website by following this link: https://www.tuttosport.com/sondaggi/calcio/golden-boy/2020/06/15-70739285/vota_il_golden_boy_2020_le_100_nomination/?value=65

19-year-old Obafemi is up against some considerable competition with a number of top youngsters making an impact in Europe’s top leagues.

The likes of Borussia Dortmund duo Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland, Manchester City’s Phil Foden and Manchester United’s Mason Greenwood are all included in the shortlist of 100 vying to win the award.

In some ways, it is perhaps surprising that Obafemi has been included alongside these players. The list is lengthy, but his impact has been small in comparison to his peers so far.

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This, of course, is not taking away anything from his potential to become a real threat for Saints in the future.

It is important to remember that he is only 19 and has only 18 months of consistent first-team football under his belt.

27 senior games have yielded four goals so far – this first of which made him the youngest Premier League goalscorer in the club’s history.

The Ireland youth international has also received significant praise from Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, who notes that the youngster’s pace is an attribute that can take him far.

His physical makeup – “a sprinter’s body” – has also been commented on by his manager.

The Saints staff have to take special care of him because he has a body that can breakdown easily if he is overworked. It may also take him longer to recover from some injuries, and some injuries may be unique to him.

What is clear though is that Obafemi currently has a manager who believes in him hugely, and this could be a big part of a recipe for him to reach his full potential and develop into a high quality striker.