Interview with Martin Lipton, a British journalist with The Sun and a member of the international jury for the European Golden Boy | by Massimo Franchi
1) The list of 100 nominees for the 2026 Golden Boy award has been announced: which players from your country (born on or after 1 January 2006) did you expect to see on the list, and why?
Max Dowman (Arsenal): the youngest goal scorer in the history of the Premier League and who has been training with the Arsenal first team since he was 14.
Josh King (Fulham): making himself a Premier League regular and offers pace and a goal sense. In the England under-21 ranks
Archie Gray (Tottenham): in a terrible season for Spurs, Gray has been the stand-out player. His versatility is remarkable – playing on either flank, in midfield or at centre-half.
Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool): already making the case to be Mohamed Salah’s long-term replacement, many at Liverpool think he should be the starting winger now. Has imagination and intelligence in addition to searing speed
2) Among your preferred players (pending of course the European Cups and World Cup finals in addition to the first part of the next season), is there anyone who you think deserves more than the others to win or to go very high in the 24th edition of the trophy reserved for the best Under-21 player of the year?
Dowman (although, at just 16, he has another few years in which he can be the winner) and Gray
3) In your country, at the level of sports institutions (for example, in the Football Federation, in the Youth and School Sector, in professional and amateur leagues, in the Olympic Committee itself, etc.), have there been investments in recent years to further improve grassroots football and attract more and more young people to football?
There is money made available via the Football Foundation (jointly funded by the FA, Premier League and Government) to improve facilities at grassroots level – more 3/4G pitches, changing rooms etc. Football has never been more popular, with thriving youth and especially girls’ teams
4) And at club level? Have any professional or amateur clubs recently stood out for implementing their youth sector and recruiting future talent, perhaps by building new sports centers specifically for children or with special and noteworthy initiatives to convince parents to enroll their children?
The wealth of the Premier League clubs means that the most talented are spotted early and integrated into the most ambitiously-funded coaching set-up available. Pretty much all the Premier League clubs scout extensively from the age of five or six plus the sheer number of local youth leagues means there is a feeder pathway for talent.
5) Established in 2003, Golden Boy will celebrate its first “jubilee” next year (2027), marking a quarter of a century of existence. Can you take stock of this period, in your opinion, how the Award has eventually progressed, its international impact, in terms of media coverage, the appeal it holds for players and insiders, experts, professionals, as well as the interest it generates among fans and readers?
There’s no doubt that the Golden Boy has grown in status and reputation. Initially it felt like a good idea but with no real resonance. That has changed, markedly, over the past 20 years. Young players want to be recognised and the players/managers/agents etc who want to be part of the process indicate the respect and importance.
