Tottenham striker Harry Kane wins the youth vote as British kid’s favourite player while youngsters also give a huge thumbs-up to VAR technology for refs
New survey shows an overwhelming majority of youngsters support help for refs and rate the Spurs striker above Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamad Salah
HARRY KANE has won the youth vote in a survey where kids give a huge thumbs-up to video refs.
Tottenham’s England striker polled 24 per cent to be named British youngsters’ Premier League player of the year, ahead of Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and third-placed Liverpool flier Mohamad Salah.
And support for VAR technology was overwhelming, with 86 per cent backing the extra help for refs.
And in a warning to Premier League stars about their behaviour, 90 per cent think professional players should be role models – on and off the pitch.
Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp might be idolised by their club’s supporters but they must study harder, judging by the views of the survey of 2,041 secondary-school pupils.
Spurs chief Pochettino polled just six per cent and Liverpool boss Klopp eight per cent in the kids’ vote for Premier League manager of the year.
Both came below Burnley’s Sean Dyche, with City chief Pep Guardiola top of the class on 28 per cent.
Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho and Chelsea chief Antonio Conte were in second and third spot respectively.
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And it could be a successful World Cup for Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate if the surveyed teenagers are right about England’s brightest young stars.
City’s pacy goal menace Raheem Sterling was voted best young Prem player, pipping Marcus Rashford.
Fellow England starlet, Spurs’ Dele Alli, tied for third with Brazil frontman Gabriel Jesus.
But the survey produced a remarkable stalemate in the decade-old debate of who the world’s best player is.
Barcelona maestro Lionel Messi and Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo each polled 38 per cent, comfortably ahead of Paris Saint-Germain’s £198million word record buy Neymar.
The survey comes ahead of the first ever National Schools’ Football Week, from February 5-9.
To find out more or to get your school involved, visit . You can also follow the social media conversation by using: #SchoolsFootballWeek @PSSchoolsCup @SchoolsFootball
