3 Footballers Of Nigerian Descent Nominated For 2019 ‘Golden Boy’ Award

Presented by Italian sports daily, Tuttosport, the ‘Golden Boy‘ award celebrates the most impressive under-21 footballer in Europe. This year’s edition comes with an 80-man list of nominees, including three players of Nigerian descent – Samuel Chukwueze, Ikouwem Utin and Bobby Adekanye.

Samuel Chukwueze

Undoubtedly the most popular of the three, Chukwueze was a sensation during Villareal’s campaign last season. The 20-year-old pulled impressed so much that he ended the season with top clubs in Europe chasing after him, not minding his latest ranking as Africa’s most valuable under-20 player.

Ikouwem Utin

A former Enyimba FC player, 19-year-old Utin joined Israeli club, Maccabi Haifa, in May — which explains why he has made only one appearance in Europe, and that was in the Europa League Qualifiers. Like Chukwueze, he’s a former winner of the NFF’s ‘Young Player of the Year’ award.

Bobby Adekanye

Adekanye, who is also a citizen of the Netherlands, currently plays for Lazio. Before joining the Seria A club, the 20-year-old was on Liverpool’s under-23 team, where he scored three goals and gave two assists across all competitions last season.

You can vote for your favourite here.