Izuchukwu OkosiColombia’s Linda Caicedo nicks women’s prize
England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has won the 2023 Golden Boy award – for the best U-21 player in Europe’s top flights.
Bellingham who was awarded the best player in the world under the age of 21 at the recently held Ballon D’Or Awards ceremony in Paris joins the illustrious list of winners that includes Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Wayne Rooney and Erling Haaland.
The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder becomes the first English player to have won it since Raheem Sterling when the Chelsea forward was a player of Liverpool in 2014.
Colombia and Real Madrid forward Linda Caicedo, 18, won the Golden Girl award.
Bellingham, 20, moved from Borussia Dortmund to Real in the summer and has scored 13 goals in 14 appearances.
The England international who was unavailable for selection in England’s Euro 2024 qualifiers due to a shoulder injury copped in a La Liga game.
“I’d like to thank everyone who has been part of my journey so far at Birmingham, Dortmund and now Madrid. It wouldn’t be possible without them,” Bellingham said.
“Lastly and most importantly my family who gives me the support, motivation and love every day to keep striving.
“Now I have this prestigious award I want to keep going. I want to keep pushing the limits of my potential and hopefully many more trophies to come.”
Bellingham has been tipped as a likely winner of the Ballon D’Or award in the next five seasons.
Erling Haaland is the high profile star to have won it after the 22-year-old’s stunning first season at the Premier League champions in which he scored 52 goals in 53 appearances.
Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati received the Golden Player Woman award.
The 25-year-old won the Ballon d’Or last month and has received more recognition following a standout year in which she helped her club triumph in the Spanish top flight and Champions League, and her country win the World Cup in the summer.
Other awards given during the ceremony included Arsenal’s sporting director Edu Gaspar winning Best European Manager and Brighton’s Tony Bloom named Best European President.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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