One to watch for West Bromwich Albion: Jonathan Leko
West Bromwich Albion’s Jonathan Leko is, in a manner of speaking, rubbing shoulders with some of the greatest young players on the planet.
Monaco’s coveted teenage star Kylian Mbappe, prodigious Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford and AC Milan goalkeeping sensation Gianluigi Donnarumma are just some of the names that accompany the Baggies forward on the list of nominations for the 2017 Golden Boy award.
Granted, a hefty line-up of 98 players was constructed to decide the European-based youngster perceived to have performed best over the space of a calendar year but it’s doubtful Leko is sniffing at being nominated for a gong previously held by Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Wayne Rooney.
When he was introduced as a 78th-minute substitute against Sunderland in April 2016, the Ghana-born England youth international – then at the tender age of 16 – became the first player born in 1999 to feature in the Premier League.
Leko, who turned 18 less than two months ago, made a further four top-flight appearances in 2015-16, grabbing an assist against Liverpool on the final day of the season and being named the Baggies’ young player of the year.
Baby steps
The teenager was deployed by Hawthorns chief Tony Pulis nine times last term and although he had to settle for being introduced from the bench every time, Leko still managed to assert himself in a blue and white shirt.
(Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
The England U18 man produced a string of impressive performances for West Brom’s U23 side and was named the Premier League Two player of the month for December, becoming the first Baggies youngster to clinch a monthly award.
Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus, Everton’s Tom Davies and 2016 winner Renato Sanches, of Bayern Munich, are just a few more in the running for the 2017 Golden Boy award, with nominations drawn up on the suggestions of sports journalists from across the continent.
The chance of Leko being crowned the cream of the crop are probably slim but being recognised a potential star of the future should be prize enough for the West Brom youngster, who, now he is finally old enough to vote or open his own bank account, will be aiming to fully break into Pulis’ first-team plans next season.
