FORGET Mason Greenwood and Gabriel Martinelli.
While Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is busy comparing his boy wonder to Cristiano Ronaldo and Jurgen Klopp has hailed the Arsenal starlet a “star of the century’, a talented Dutchman has fallen under the radar.
Dutch wonderkid Myron Boadu has scored more goals than Mason Greenwood and Gabriel MartinelliCredit: Getty – Contributor
Myron Boadu, 18, is the same age as the Premier League wonderkids but the difference is he’s scored MORE goals.
The Amsterdam-born youngster leads the line for AZ Alkmaar, where he has found the net 17 times in 27 games this season.
Greenwood and Martinelli, in comparison, both have eight.
Boadu’s impressive haul includes six goals in the Europa League.
He even made his international debut for Holland, coming on as a sub to finish off a 5-0 rout of Estonia and become the first player born in the 21st century to feature and score for the Netherlands national team.
And to think he could’ve been turning out at the Emirates had he accepted an offer to move to North London as a youth.
BORN IN AJAX-TERRITORY
Boadu was raised by Ghanaian parents in the Biljmer-district, where you can hear the cheers from Ajax’s Johan Cruyff Arena.
He played football on the streets with his brother Reginald from morning till he was called in for dinner.
Soon, he joined his local team FC Biljmer and by the age of 12 he knew a life in football was a realistic option.
Ajax were desperate to sign him, but he chose AZ in 2012 – where he rose through the ranks.
Boadu was raised within a stone’s throw of the Ajax stadiumCredit: Instagram @myronboadu
Despite interest from Ajax, Boadu signed with AZ AlkmaarCredit: Instagram @myronboadu
WENGER KNEW
After Gunners scouts alerted former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to Boadu’s talents at AZ, the lightning-quick forward was invited to London to meet with the club.
But he decided to snub the move, believing he would get more game-time if he stayed put.
“I will never forget the moment I got on the plane [to London],” he told VI.
“I thought, ‘This may be an important day in my life.’ If we had said yes, it would have had far-reaching consequences for our family. It was attractive, but I also got a very good offer from AZ.
“I’m playing in the first team now. I don’t know if that would have been the case at Arsenal, where I would play with boys of my own age, which didn’t appeal to me.”
Boadu’s blistering pace and ability alerted Arsenal, who offered him a dealCredit: Getty – Contributor
However, Boadu snubbed Arsenal because he thought he would get more opportunities at AZCredit: Rex Features
HE’S INDESTRUCTIBLE
Through sheer determination and grit, Boadu has made it to the top, even though his path hasn’t been easy.
Two very serious injuries threatened to derail his career, before it had even started.
He missed the majority of the 2017-18 season with a serious knee injury that could’ve stripped him of his best attribute – his blistering pace.
The following season, Boadu broke his ankle in a home match against Feyenoord and was ruled out for seven months.
MORE THAN A GOALSCORER
Although the numbers suggest he’s a predator in front of goal, his coach believes there’s more to his game than hitting the back of the net.
“You sell him short if you only judge him on goals and assists,” AZ coach Arne Slot was quick to point out recently.
“Myron can also apply very good and aggressive pressure, and he works really hard for the team.”
Boadu scored on his debut for Holland against Estonia in NovemberCredit: Getty – Contributor
With 17 goals in 27 games this season Boadu is Europe’s highest scoring 18-year-oldCredit: Rex Features
While Dutch U21 coach Erwin van de Looi purred about his instinctive striking ability.
“He is so cool in front of goal and so dangerous from deep,” he said.
“He has that ability to just score, that is really a talent.”
Man Utd are seeded for the Europa League draw after Mason Greenwood masterclass makes easy work of AZ Alkmaar
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
