Real Madrid midfielder Brandon Bezhanin wins the 2023 Golden Boy Award, how do you evaluate his performance?

The Subtlety of Names

The only slightly subtle thing about Berin is his name.

Calling him Beihuang, calling him Linhuang, calling him Ehuang, calling him Muhuang, all seem a little inappropriate ().

Berin: Becoming a Hero of Our Time

Xie Buyao. Friends who frequently pay attention to me should know that Berin is currently the player I have the highest expectations for, without a doubt.

Since this season, as long as he is on the field, I must watch Real Madrid’s matches, and as long as he is playing for Real Madrid, he will definitely deliver stunning performances - this pattern is also true for the national team, as it was during the last international break. And whenever he performs, he will undoubtedly bring tangible points and value to the team, and I will inevitably praise him again.

So how do we evaluate his performance? If it’s because of the Golden Boy award…well, all I can say is that, ha, this award is no longer suitable for Berin’s level, he should not only be a contender for the Ballon d’Or, but he is also not far from winning it - at least closer than the other active players on the Golden Boy list, right?

Looking at the list of historical winners, to be honest, I feel that most players who won the award at that age are not at the same level as Berin -

Counting on my fingers, I feel that only Wayne Rooney in 2004 and Erling Haaland in 2020 have some comparability to Berin, but their statistics still do not reach Berin’s level. In short, back then, they were more or less still considered kids, but Berin is unquestionably a full-fledged adult now.

But from this perspective, I do want to ask, is the so-called “Golden Boy” award beneficial or harmful to a player’s growth?

It’s a somewhat awkward award, to be honest. It’s not appropriate to say to cancel it, after all, it is a way to discover and motivate young players - without this award, many of them might not become well-known so easily. But to say how good it really is, I’m not so sure. I feel that the majority of players on this list have reached their career peaks from the moment they became Golden Boy award winners.

It’s a bit like the meme from “Empresses in the Palace” that goes, “Once an empress, always an empress.” Is it difficult or sad? Can’t really say.

But I still have confidence that Berin is impossible to fall into this predicament… Why do I say that?

Berin indeed has a unique temperament - his focus and self completely merge with the game, you can’t even feel that he is a child, but a full-fledged adult. This is a rare temperament - of course, off the pitch, you can see that he still has some youthful expressions and emotions, but as soon as he steps onto the field, he becomes a complete war machine - he has been playing for the senior team since he was 16, and now he is 20, mature like a 30-year-old.

The interesting thing about football is that age actually doesn’t have much impact on individual player performances - very old players and very young players both have the possibility of being considered “the best player”. When a very old player performs well, I usually think, “An old dog is still an old dog”; but when I encounter a prodigy like Berin, all I can say is that he is the hero of our time.

Rising Star in Football: Discrepancy between FM Selection and Actual Performance

It reminds me of a video where Haaland was overly complimentary of Bellingham during his time at Dortmund.

There was previously a discussion about whether Dortmund’s selling prices depend on the presence of an instruction manual. In reality, Dortmund has produced many outstanding players.

I think the team’s scouts could take a reference from Football Manager (FM). In FM 2022, Bellingham is considered the strongest midfield candidate, with a four-and-a-half-star rating at the age of 18, which is exceptional. Similar to Haaland, both of them are considered a version answer. Many FM versions rate players aged 18-20 with very high potential, like Bayern’s Musiala. However, only Bellingham and Haaland were given four or five-star exceptional ratings during their time at Dortmund.

For example, Jude Bellingham, who became popular in FM 2023, has high mental and technical attributes, but all his physical attributes are in the gray single digits. This summer, he did start his injury-prone journey after moving to Real Madrid.

Another example is Rock, a player almost necessary to buy in FM23 due to his high potential, but it’s actually difficult to develop him. The prognosis is not optimistic. He moved to Barcelona this summer.

Chelsea’s scouts might as well be part of FM staff since they have bought many promising young players. It’s difficult to say what the future holds for them. That version of Madueke, for example, is exceptionally strong.

With the Arabian Gulf League waving around their checkbooks, senior players no longer have to linger in top leagues, as they have better places to go. Young talents also have more opportunities, and a new era with new stars and superstars is about to unfold.

Exceeding expectations of young players

First of all, looking at the overall performance of the younger generation compared to last year or when they entered Real Madrid, their overall ability, core position, leadership qualities, and their performance in crucial moments and important matches, all make it apparent that they can be called the best of the young players.

Therefore, as the recipient of the Golden Boy award at this age, it is well-deserved and indeed possesses such abilities.