ENGLAND rookies Kobbie Mainoo and Adam Wharton could follow in the footsteps of Jude Bellingham by being named Europe’s next emerging superstar.
Manchester United’s FA Cup Final scorer Mainoo and Crystal Palace schemer Wharton were both unveiled in the initial top 14 rankings for the next edition of the Golden Boy Award.
Bellingham became the third English winner - after Wayne Rooney and Raheem Sterling - when he received the trophy, presented by Turin-based TuttoSport, in December.
And while Gareth Southgate’s two youngsters start the countdown to the 2024 award behind Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, both could explode to the top of the list if they fly in Euro 2024.
At the launch event at the Solomeo estate owned by fashion house impresario Brunello Cucinelli, Golden Boy founder Massimo Franchi said: “The rankings are based on performances in the biggest games.
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“We have seen both Mainoo and Wharton, very impressive and potentially in England’s squad for the Euros. Maybe they can do what Bellingham did last year.”
The rankings are compiled using a complex algorithm based on performances and minutes played by analytics experts Football Benchmark, with players only qualifying if they were born after January 1 2004.
Mainoo’s Old Trafford club-mate Alejandro Garnacho starts in third place, with Joao Neves of Benfica second.
But there are two other English players in the top 25, with Manchester City’s Rico Lewis 10th and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens of Dortmund in 15th.
In total, 11 Prem youngsters feature in the leading 100 names, drawn from the top 25 domestic leagues in Europe.
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Newcastle pair Lewis Miley (6th) and Lewis Hall (60th) are in the list which includes four Brighton players - a tally only matched by Barcelona - including full-back Jack Hinshelwood.
Mainoo and Wharton - who made a composed and intelligent debut as a second-half substitute in Monday’s warm-up win over Bosnia and Herzegovina - are not sweating on Southgate’s final selection decision on Friday night.
But the European recognition is a further sign that the future of English football is increasingly bright.
