The Golden Boy 2022 award nominees shortlist is out!
The prestigious prize is awarded to some of football's brightest prospects that have impressed during the calendar year, with the accolade having been won by some of Europe's greats.
A handful of this year's nominees have made their way through the EFL to get to the top and here, we take a look at those players and their journeys...
Fabio Carvalho - Liverpool
Former Fulham attacker Fabio Carvalho's transfer to Premier League giants Liverpool is imminent, but the teenager stepped into the limelight at Craven Cottage last term. The 19-year-old notched 11 goals in 38 appearances as Marco Silva's side clinched the Sky Bet Championship title to earn promotion back to the top flight at the first time of asking, before catching the eye of the Reds in the summer.
💫 An amazing feeling, an amazing season!
— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) May 5, 2022
Fabio Carvalho on @FulhamFC's title-clinching campaign! 🥇#EFL | #SkyBetChampionship pic.twitter.com/pK6xxx3pMW
Joe Gelhardt - Leeds United
Before linking up with Leeds United, Joe Gelhardt made his way through Wigan Athletic's ranks to make his professional debut in August 2018. The Liverpool-born forward's breakthrough season came in 2019/20 when the 20-year-old featured in 18 outings in the second tier for the Latics, then switching to Elland Road in the summer of 2020.
Harvey Elliott - Liverpool
A season-long loan at Blackburn Rovers stood Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott in good stead for what was to come. The 19-year-old made his mark in EFL competitions, becoming the youngest player to feature in the League Cup, aged 15 years and 174 days, in a 3-1 win over Millwall for Fulham in September 2018 as the Cottagers progressed to Round Four.
Jude Bellingham - Borussia Dortmund
Birmingham City's youngest-ever first-team player first joined his hometown Club over 10 years ago at Under-8s level, being named the Young Player of the Season and the LFE Championship Apprentice of the Year at the EFL Awards 2020. Two years ago, a move to Borussia Dortmund beckoned for the England international, who made his Three Lions debut in November 2020.
How it started How it’s going#EFL | #RaisedInTheEFL | @BellinghamJude pic.twitter.com/2tT5HLxXhZ
— EFL (@EFL) November 10, 2020