Mbappe won the Golden Boy award in 2017

The 18-year-old striker was honoured after an explosive year, continuously shining at the highest level with Monaco, PSG and the French national team.

Mbappe in PSG shirt. Photo: Reuters

Kylian Mbappe won the prestigious award for players under the age of 21 playing in Europe, after the French striker helped Monaco win Ligue 1 last season and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Mbappe's biggest rivals, Gabriel Jesus (Man City) and Ousmane Dembele (Barca), were outclassed in terms of achievements. This was reflected in the votes of sports newspapers. Mbappe received 291 points, while the second-placed player, Dembele, only had 149 points.

Mbappe's excellence made the 1998-born player a target for big clubs last summer. However, PSG got the French international on a one-year loan from Monaco, with a $200 million buyout clause in the summer of 2018.

After moving to PSG, Mbappe continued to maintain his excellent form with four goals and four assists after 11 matches. The 18-year-old player showed maturity when combining with two big stars, Neymar and Cavani, to form a fearsome trio in PSG's attack.

Mbappe was also called up to the French national team last year and made eight appearances for the blue shirt. This player will be an important card for coach Deschamp in the campaign to conquer the 2018 World Cup.

Winning the 2017 Golden Boy award helped Mbappe follow the path that many previous superstars such as Rooney, Messi, Fabregas, Aguero and Pogba have taken.

This is the third time the hexagon country has owned a Golden Boy after two stars playing for Man Utd, Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial.

According to VNE