Cruzeiro midfielder Lucas Silva has been nominated for the 2014 South American Footballer of the Year.
The 21 year-old, who has been strongly linked with Arsenal and Real Madrid in recent weeks, will compete with Argentine duo Ignacio Piatti and Leonardo Pisculichi, Internacional midfielder Charles Aránguiz, Colombia international Teófilo Gutiérrez and winger Carlos Sánchez for the award, which is ran by Uruguayan newspaper El País.
Of the six players selected, only Piatti [Montreal Impact], Aránguiz and Lucas don’t play for River Plate. Marcelo Gallardo"s side won the Copa Sudamericana and the Primera División Superfinal this year and have been rewarded accordingly with three nominees.
Piatti’s inclusion is due to his role in San Lorenzo’s Copa Libertadores victory. The 29 year-old, who was signed by Montreal on a free transfer in August, played a prominent role throughout the tournament and netted a key goal in the quarter-final win over Cruzeiro.
For Lucas, his selection comes on the back of another outstanding campaign domestically. The youngster made 27 appearances and was selected in the Championship Squad, as Cruzeiro retained the Brasileirão, while he also won the Campeonato Mineiro with a Raposa and the Toulon Tournament with Brazil’s U-20 side.
If Lucas is nominated South American Footballer of the Year on 31st December, then he will follow in the footsteps of Ronaldinho, who won the award last year, and will also be the first Cruzeiro player to win it.
