West Ham’s Declan Rice unjustly overlooked in Golden Boy shortlist

Another year, another instance of West Ham being overlooked for the quality they turn out from the Academy of Football. This time, it’s Declan Rice not being shortlisted for the Golden Boy award.

By definition and letter of their own creation, the Golden Boy award is awarded to the best player under 21 years of age who has impressed in one calendar year, spanning parts of two seasons. In the Premier League, there are few U21 players who have impressed more or ascended quicker than Declan Rice in 2019. His overlooking is a footballing injustice.

Rice has four players from the Premier League who were nominated ahead of them, all of them are arguably less impactful in 2019. Let’s start with his best friend Mason Mount. Mount, while having an amazing year with Chelsea thus far and reaching the England national team has played just 3 matches for the team in that span. He has scored four goals and added one assist in his 8 Premier League games, so I suppose there is justification there, however, his Championship loan for the beginning of 2019 should be considered.

Phil Foden is up next. Foden has been tabbed as the only unsellable player for Manchester City by Pep Guardiola, even if a bid of €500m came in for him. To completely negate that comment, Guardiola has played the attacking midfielder for ten (10) Premier League minutes this season, relegating him to a Carabao Cup team player. He also has not been selected or featured for the senior England team.

Moise Kean from Everton may have the most legitimate stake at this award from any Premier League player on this list and it’s for nothing Premier League related. That being said, he is goalless in his opening 8 matches for Everton this season. Keane makes up for this with his goal record for Italy, netting two goals in three matches for the international team in 2019. He also scored six goals in 12 of his 2019 matches for Juventus.

Lastly, we have Arsenal’s Matteo Guendouzi who somehow made it on this list. The defensive midfielder has not played for France’s senior team yet and is a part of a massively inconsistent Arsenal team whose biggest concern is their team defending. I can’t wrap my head around this selection at all.

Rice’s 2019 has been extremely eventful. He cemented himself in a new position under Manuel Pellegrini, earned his first call up the England squad, solidified a starting position under Gareth Southgate, scored his first Premier League goal, and has been a top-3 defensive midfielder statistically speaking, this season.

It’s clear that the likes of Guendouzi and Foden are getting recognition because of their clubs’ status and that is truly a shame. It appears only the West Ham faithful understand how colossal of a player he is for the Hammers and how much of a talent he is for being just 20 years old.