Kenan Yildiz, a Turkish and Juventus winger, won the Golden Boy Web award on Wednesday.
“The ‘talent’ of Juventus and the Turkish national team was able to count on the unwavering support of his home fans, always ready to go wild when it comes to voting for one of their stars,” the Italian sports newspaper, Tuttosport, said in a statement after Yildiz received the most online votes with 33.2%.
“His performances at the European Championship and a sparkling start in black and white did the rest,” it added.
The European Golden Boy Award, introduced in 2003 by journalist Massimo Franchi, recognizes the best under-21 football player on a European team. The prestigious honor is presented annually by Tuttosport.
Juventus congratulated Yildiz, saying: “Well done to all our players, and a special round of applause for Kenan!”
Lamine Yamal, 17, a Barcelona sensation, won the Golden Boy for being the best under-21 football player.