Christian Pulisic has emerged as a bona fide star for club and country in recent months. - © © DFL DEUTSCHE FUSSBALL LIGA
Christian Pulisic has emerged as a bona fide star for club and country in recent months. - © © DFL DEUTSCHE FUSSBALL LIGA

Christian Pulisic in running to succeed Renato Sanches as European Golden Boy

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Borussia Dortmund sensation Christian Pulisic is one of four current Bundesliga players shortlisted for the prestigious European Golden Boy award.

The award, last won by Bayern Munich midfielder Renato Sanches - currently on loan at Swansea City - recognises the best player under the age of 21 over a calendar year.

And what a memorable year it’s been for USA international Pulisic, who only turned 19 this week. Scoring against the likes of Benfica in the Champions League and Bayern Munich in the DFL Supercup, he has also helped BVB climb to the top of the Bundesliga table with a goal and an assist so far this term.

Pulisic also played a major part as Borussia qualified for this season’s UEFA Champions League and won the 2017 DFB Cup. At international level, meanwhile, he has developed into his country’s key player in their bid to qualify for next summer’s FIFA World Cup.

Watch: Jean-Kevin Augustin scores his maiden Bundesliga goal for Leipzig

The man from Hershey, Pennsylvania has competition for the award from elsewhere in Germany’s top flight, however. French forward Jean-Kevin Augustin, who joined RB Leipzig from Paris St-Germain this summer, is also nominated, as is versatile Bayer Leverkusen defender Benjamin Henrichs, after helping Germany to FIFA Confederations Cup glory in July, and English centre-back Reece Oxford, on loan at Borussia Mönchengladbach from West Ham.

Introduced by Italian newspaper Tuttosport in 2003, the Golden Boy award is decided by a panel of 30 leading journalists from around Europe, with the winner to be announced in October.

The 2017 Golden Boy nominees

Aaron Martin (Espanyol), Jean-Kevin Augustin (RB Leipzig), Rodrigo Bentacur (Juventus), Steven Bergwijn PSV (Eindhoven), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Amadou Diawara (Napoli), Kasper Dolberg (Ajax), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Benjamin Henrichs (Bayer Leverkusen), Borja Mayoral (Real Madrid), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Emre Mor Celta (Vigo), Reece Oxford (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Allan Saint-Maximim (Nice), Dominic Solanke (Liverpool), Theo Hernandez (Real Madrid), Youri Tielemans (Monaco), Enes Ünal (Villarreal), Kyle Walker-Peters (Tottenham)