Nigeria-eligible striker wins Serie A Best Young Player award after Euro 2024 snub

Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee has been named Serie A’s Under-23 Player of the Season, Soccernet.ng reports.

This outstanding recognition comes a few days after Zirkzee was left out of the Netherlands’ squad for the European Championships this year.

The 22-year-old, who remains eligible to play for Nigeria, played a crucial role in helping Bologna qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1964. Zirkzee scored 11 goals and provided five assists as Bologna finished fifth in Serie A.

His omission from the Dutch national team has sparked discussions about his international future, with some suggesting he might switch allegiance to Nigeria.

Zirkzee has often stated his dream is to play for the Netherlands but has kept the option to play for Nigeria open.

However, even if he considers Nigeria, he would face stiff competition.

Nigeria boast a strong lineup of forwards, including Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, who is the Super Eagles’s first-choice striker, and Ademola Lookman, who recently made history by scoring a hat-trick in a European Cup final for Atalanta.

Other talents include Victor Boniface of Bayer Leverkusen, Cyriel Dessers of Rangers FC, Paul Onuachu of Trabzonspor, and Kelechi Iheanacho of Leicester City.

For now, though, Zirkzee will look to celebrate his personal achievement in Serie A as he enters a summer where he could move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Serie A 2023-24: Award winners

• Title Winners: Inter Milan
• Coach of the Season: Simone Inzaghi (Inter Milan)
• Golden Boot: Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
• Golden Glove: Michele Di Gregorio (Monza)
• Young Player of the Season: Joshua Zirkzee (Bologna)
• Best Striker: Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus)
• Best Defender: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan)
• Best Midfielder: Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter Milan)