Borussia Dortmund starlet and Norway international Erling Haaland has won the 2020 Golden Boy award as the best young player across the top tier European Leagues as per reports. The coveted individual trophy is presented to the best player aged 21 or under from one of the top-tier league in Europe. The Norwegian has been one of the best players in the world ever since his arrival at Borussia Dortmund last season. Erling Haaland’s Awkward Reaction After Being Asked About Sleeping Alone Goes Viral, Fans Call The Question a Weird One (Watch Video).

The prize was first established by Italian newspaper Tuttosport in 2003 and is now decided by an intensive voting process, including a panel of global experts. Erling Haaland beat the likes of Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies, Borussia Dortmund team-mate Jadon Sancho and Barcelona sensation Ansu Fati to win the trophy.

Erling Haaland scored 44 goals across all competitions in 2019-20 – 16 of those coming in 18 appearances after a move from Austrian champions Salzburg to Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund in January 2020. This season, the Norwegian has score 11 goals in as many appearances across all competitions.

The Norwegian has joined an elite list of company to win the Golden Boy award. The former winners of the coveted trophy include the likes of Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi and Paul Pogba and the recent winners include Kylian Mbappé in 2017, Matthijs de Ligt in 2018 and Joao Felix in 2019.

The Norwegian has been linked with several big clubs across Europe as the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United are interested in signing the 20-year-old. ‘At the moment it's not in Erling's or my head that another club will be vying for him. We signed a long contract with Dortmund’ Haaland’s father said in a recent interview.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 21, 2020 10:39 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).