Mario Balotelli insists he's better than Rooney, Fabregas (and he's never even heard of Wilshere) after winning Golden Boy award
Mario Balotelli has been named the best young player in Europe - and claims he hasn't heard of second-placed Jack Wilshere.
The troublesome Manchester City striker won the prestigious Golden Boy award voted organised by Italian newspaper Tuttosport and voted for by journalists across Europe to recognise the most talented player Under 21.
Highly rated Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David de Gea - wanted by Manchester United - is third, but it is runner-up Wilshere who got Balotelli scratching his head.
Best foot forward: Striker Balotelli (right) lines up for City during the home defeat by Everton
'What's his name? Wil...? No, I just don’t know him, but the next time I play against Arsenal I'll try to be careful,' said the Italy international. 'Maybe I could show him the Golden Boy trophy and remind him that I won.'
Balotelli clearly hasn't been paying enough to City's rivals, with Wilshere widely regarded as the most promising English player of his generation.
The 18-year-old has been a regular starter this season and earned an England debut as a substitute against Hungary in August, but he missed Arsenal's 3-0 win at City in October because of suspension.
Everton inflicted a second home defeat on Roberto Mancini's side with a 2-1 win on Monday night, but Balotelli is still expecting big things at Eastlands.
Ahead of the rest: Wilshere (fourth left) trains with his Arsenal team-mates at London Colney
Despite reiterating his desire to one day play for the team he loves - AC Milan - the £24million summer signing believes he can first win the Barclays Premier League title with City.
'For 2011 I want the Premier League - to continue the tradition with Inter that saw me win the last three championships - and the Europa League, a trophy I'm yet to win and that surely we are favourites for.'
Flirt: Milan striker Ibrahimovic
Asked about the incessant calls from Zlatan Ibrahimovic to join him at Milan, Balotelli replied: 'I tell Ibra to continue calling me to Milan, and one day we will fulfil the wish and I can play in the Rossoneri shirt.'
Confident as ever, Balotelli seems to have little qualms about how his flirting with Milan will play among the City fans just months after signing at five-year contract at Eastlands.
But the Golden Boy award is only fuelling an already inflated ego. Balotelli insists he is better than previous winners such as Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fabregas and Rafael van der Vaart - and has his eye on being recognised as the best in the world.
'There's only one that is a little stronger than me: Messi,' he said of former Golden Boys. 'All the others behind me.
'I am delighted to receive the award, but who else would have won if not me? Two years ago I finished sixth and then fourth in 2009. Now it's my turn, no?
'My goal is, in the near future, to turn this award into the Ballon d'Or, without any age limits. Winning the Golden Boy is certainly a good omen.'
MARIO BALOTELLI should get a Heart of Gold from ESTHER RANTZEN.
The Manchester City star helped a young autograph hunter being picked on at school - by confronting the bully himself.
The striker questioned why the young lad was playing truant with his mum outside the club's Carrington training ground rather than attending school.
After the fan revealed that he was being bullied, Mario drove the youngster and his mum over to the school in question and demanded a meeting with the headteacher.
The Blues ace got the youngster to confess what had been happening and made him identify the culprit. The lads eventually shook hands before Mario got into his white Maserati and sped off.
A source said: "Mario feels strongly about bullying and thinks it's out of order.
"He had no qualms about sorting the mess out as he felt the lad should not be missing out on school."
MARIO BALOTELLI was making a splash back in Milan while his Manchester City team-mates were on their FA Cup victory parade.
The controversial Italian striker, 20, was caught on camera throwing water bombs at a meeting of Serie A club chiefs on Monday - having been given the night off by City for 'family reasons'.
Balotelli also dodged City's end-of-season dinner on Sunday night, during which he was named as their Young Player of the Season.
But, on Monday evening, Italian TV caught him, his brother Enoch and agent Mino Raiola larking about at the annual Milan event.
Together they drenched TV crews while, earlier, Balotelli brought chaos to the narrow streets as he tried to park his white Maserati before being picked up by Raiola.
Despite ducking what proved to be a memorable night back in Manchester, Balotelli admitted he knew how important it was to everyone at his club.
He said: "Winning the FA Cup was fantastic. I didn't realise just how important it was until we got to the final.
"So I managed to do something good this season and I'm doing well with Roberto Mancini. For the fans, the FA Cup is worth almost as much as winning the Premier League."
Balotelli's future is likely to be the subject of more speculation this summer but he insists he will stay put.
He said: "If I come back to Italy, the first thing I am going to do is go home.
"A return to Inter? Who knows, they are a big club. I miss my old team-mates but not Inter and I am doing well in England.
"I am not dreaming about Milan, I am happy with life in Manchester."
_________________ this ain't no tall order this is nothing to me, difficult takes a day, impossible takes a week
Mario Balotelli's Manchester City team-mates gave the prank-loving striker a distinctly fishy taste of his own medicine by planting a bag filled with kippers behind the front seat of his Maserati. He discovered it a fortnight later.
The Sun ( ) were saying it was a write off but I'll take the £150k car and give it a good clean if they really think it'd be cheaper for them to replace it. Talk about sensationalising a story ffs. _________________ this ain't no tall order this is nothing to me, difficult takes a day, impossible takes a week
Joined: 13 Jul 2007 Posts: 1192 Location: Going for the chips
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 3:51 pm Post subject:
Lucius Sweet wrote:
The Sun ( ) were saying it was a write off but I'll take the £150k car and give it a good clean if they really think it'd be cheaper for them to replace it. Talk about sensationalising a story ffs.
Did they get that from the call that the Maserati dealership left on his answer machine? _________________ Without fear and without favour
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) were saying it was a write off but I'll take the £150k car and give it a good clean if they really think it'd be cheaper for them to replace it. Talk about sensationalising a story ffs.
