The Guardian selects 60 of the most talented young footballers from around the world in their Next Generation 2017 project announced on October 4, 2017.
In most cases, any nod from British daily newspaper The Guardian is a good one, especially when nearly 43 million people worldwide read the publication online.
Once The Guardian identifies you as one of the best young football talents in the world - that, one would assume, is a nod worth taking to the grave.
In this edition, one player from Southeast Asia, named Egy Maulana from Indonesia has received just that.
In The Guardian's annual Next Generation project, 60 of the best young footballers in the world are chosen who are destined to one day follow in Ronaldo’s footsteps, chase Messi's dream, and wear the number 10 jersey.
The Guardian’s incredibly broad network of international football associates pick the 60 best young footballers based on their action - caring less about the hype of the national media or the YouTube videos collecting thousands of views.
This hugely popular project attracts millions of readers around the world each year, and as such, the Next Generation project has the weight and potential to transform the careers of these young men.
Guardian wrotes about Egy Maulana, born in Medan (North Sumatera) on July 7, 2000;
The Indonesian has just finished the 2017 Southeast Asian under-18 championships as top scorer, with his eight goals getting the football-loving nation quite excited. His performances have earned him the nickname of 'Egy Messi' and his dribbling, speed and composure on the ball are truly impressive. The No10 was named as the breakthrough player at July's Toulon tournament. He also performed well for Indonesia's under-19s against Espanyol's B team in a July friendly and was called "outstanding" by the Spanish team's coach David Gallego, who told him that if he can add a little more defensive work to his game then he can go very far indeed. - John Duerden
A massive congratulations to Egy, we look forward to watching you succeed!
Full list (source : The Guardian)
