Doha – The 20-year-old Moroccan international Bilal El Khannouss has been named the Belgian Pro League’s Young Player of the Year (“Espoir de l’année”) for 2024, receiving the prestigious award at the 71st Golden Shoe (“Soulier d’Or”) gala held Tuesday evening in Middelkerke, northwestern Belgium.
The Atlas Lion, who departed KRC Genk for English side Leicester City during the summer transfer window of 2024, secured the award with 268 points, narrowly edging out defender Matte Smets of Saint-Trond and Genk, who collected 264 points.
Anderlecht midfielder Mario Stroeykens finished third with 216 points.
This marks the second time El Khannouss has claimed this distinction, having previously won it in 2022.
The Moroccan international becomes only the third player in the award’s history to receive this honor twice, joining the ranks of Youri Tielemans (2014, 2015) and Charles De Ketelaere (2020, 2021).
The offensive midfielder, who was part of Morocco’s 2022 World Cup semi-finalist squad in Qatar, succeeds Belgian player Arthur Vermeeren, who had prevailed over him in the previous year’s voting.
In other categories at the Golden Shoe ceremony, Club Bruges’ Hans Vanaken was crowned the Belgian league’s Player of the Year.
Charles De Ketelaere of Atalanta was recognized as the best Belgian player competing abroad, while Club Bruges’ Simon Mignolet and Nicky Hayen claimed the Goalkeeper of the Year and Coach of the Year awards respectively, with Hayen steering the club to their 19th championship title.
The Golden Shoe awards, organized by Flemish newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws since 1954, determine their winners through a 35-round voting process, with 17 rounds conducted in July following the season’s conclusion, as well as eight in December.
The final results are tallied in January, with winners announced during a televised ceremony.
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