England trio on World Cup Young Player award list

BOSTON, Mass, May 18: FIFA have named England's Wayne Rooney, Theo Walcott and Aaron Lennon among the list of candidates competing for the Best Young Player Award at the World Cup, sponsors Gillette said today.

The list was compiled after the announcement of all the squads for the finals starting on June 9. In total, 40 players from 21 nations will vie for the new award. Players have to be aged under 21 as of Jan. 1 this year.

The England trio face fierce competition from such as Argentine Lionel Messi, Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Lukas Podolski of host nation Germany.

The winner will be determined by the FIFA's Technical Study Group, but fans can assist by making their selections via www.FIFAworldcup.com.

A shortlist of six will be drawn up on July 6 with the winner named on July 7, two days before the World Cup final.

Reuters