We take a look at the chances of Memphis Depay, Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane after the shortlist for the World Cup Young Player Award is announced.
FIFA have announced the shortlist for the 2014 World Cup Young Player Award, with only three candidates to choose from, making for slim pickings against the ten-man jamboree that is the Golden Ball award.
With James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos having been nominated for the big prize despite still qualifying for consideration in the Young Player Award, the shortlist is made up of three players from teams already eliminated from the tournament.
The sole representative of the Netherlands is Memphis Depay, the sprightly young forward who was deployed to fine effect by Louis van Gaal as he found the back of the net twice during the group stages.
France, meanwhile, have two nominees – despite Les Bleus having been eliminated in the quarter finals. Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane will both be hoping for something to add to their mantelpieces.
With the winner due to be announced after the tournament has drawn to a close, we’ve taken a look at the contenders to consider which one of them should be crowned the World Cup’s finest young talent.
Memphis Depay
Despite not being seen as a regular starter by Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal, young PSV Eindhoven forward Memphis Depay played an important role as the Oranje made it all the way to a heartbreaking semi-final penalty shoot-out against Argentina.
Depay, who has been linked with a move to follow his national team boss to Manchester United, made two decisive contributions for the Netherlands in the group stages of the tournament that saw them pick up maximum points despite a devilish draw.
He struck the long range winner against Australia in their second game, with the goal being a sweetly struck shot despite the fact that the Australia goalkeeper should’ve done much better with it, whilst he also put the finishing touches to a lightning quick Holland counter attack to seal the 2-0 win against Chile.
His pace and direct running also troubles teams in the group stages, but it is hard to argue that Depay had made enough of a decisive impact on the latter stages of the tournament to be a worthy winner of the award, despite some promising displays.
Paul Pogba
Precocious young midfielder Paul Pogba displayed plenty of the talent that has seen him consistently linked with Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United during a France campaign that the majority saw as being satisfactory.
The Juventus midfielder has a rare blend of athleticism and raw natural talent that makes him possibly the most exciting young player in the world, something that shone through relatively consistently in the tournament – with Pogba being one of few players who could hold their head high after Les Bleus’ frustrating quarter final defeat to Germany.
Indeed, Pogba displayed enough throughout his team’s stay in the tournament to suggest that he would be the most worthy winner of the award, something that would be just another feather in the cap of a burgeoning young talent.
Raphael Varane
Young Real Madrid centre back Rapahael Varane, the third and final nominee, is another member of the France squad who can be proud of his performances at the tournament – but the former Lens man may harbour some regrets over the Germany defeat after he was the man who was outmuscled by Mats Hummels for the only goal of the game.
Gifted with exceptional pace, balance and reading of the game, Varane is emerging as one of the planet’s finest young defenders, but he is not yet the complete package – with both of these facets of the Frenchman’s game being in evidence at the World Cup.
Largely, however, his performances on the biggest stage followed on from his masterful display in the 2014 Champions League final, with the World Cup largely having enhanced the reputation of an already exciting player, but perhaps not quite enough to take home the award.