Golden talent of Ukraine is a unique national award for young Ukrainian footballers. Winners are determined on a basis of the calendar year results in two age categories – Under-21 (players who are not older than 21 at the end of the year) and Under-19 (players who are not older than 19 at the end of the year). Annual rating is based on monthly surveys of coaches, directors of sport schools, experts, journalists and fans. The final voting is held at the end of a year, to which the participants come with bonus points (for success in the monthly surveys).
The concept of the competition was developed by a football journalist named Andrii Kudyrko. In March 2013 the first monthly survey was held.
The competition conditions Surveys are conducted in months when matches are played in the Ukrainian Championship (March, April, May, August, September, October and November, according to circumstances – June and July). Respondents call their top three of young and youthful players on a basis of the month results, their votes are summed up (1st place – 3 points, 2nd place – 2 points, 3rd place – 1 point). Indicators of monthly surveys form the annual ranking in both age categories – Under-21 and Under-19.
The top ten of a year is allowed for the final voting with bonus points (1st place – 10, 2nd – 9, ..., 10th – 1). Besides, the players who are trapped in the top 5 of a month at least once and got some bonus points (1st place – 5, 2nd – 4, ..., 5th – 1) are allowed to the final year voting. This ensures the objectivity of the competition – the players who played more consistently during a year (and not only last few months before the final voting) get additional promotion, in traditional polls the one wins more often who proved to be brighter than others at the finish, as recent events are more memorable.
The situation in the category Under-21 in 2013 clearly demonstrated that a complicated procedure of determining the winner in the competition Golden Talent of Ukraine is fair. Serhiy Bolbat got the most points in a year voting, he played the autumn excellent, but with the bonus points for the whole year Ivan Ordets celebrated total victory, who consistently played in spring and autumn.
Prizes By the end of 2013 six best players (three winners in each of two age categories) received prizes provided by competition partners – diplomas, game shoes and watches.
The voting winners 2013 Month Player (Under-21) Club Player (Under-19) Club March Ivan Ordets FC Illichivets Mariupol Eduard Sobol FC Shakhtar Donetsk April Maksym Koval FC Dynamo Kyiv Eduard Sobol FC Shakhtar Donetsk May Ivan Ordets FC Illichivets Mariupol Ivan Petryak FC Zorya Luhansk July Maksym Koval FC Dynamo Kyiv Roman Pidkivka FC Karpaty Lviv August Ivan Ordets FC Illichivets Mariupol Roman Pidkivka FC Karpaty Lviv September Serhiy Bolbat FC Metalurh Donetsk Eduard Sobol FC Shakhtar Donetsk October Serhiy Bolbat FC Metalurh Donetsk Dmytro Yarchuk FC Tavriya Simferopol November Serhiy BolbatRedvan Memeshev FC Metalurh DonetskFC Volyn Lutsk Dmytro Yarchuk FC Tavriya Simferopol 2013 (final) Ivan Ordets FC Illichivets Mariupol Eduard Sobol FC Shakhtar Donetsk
2014 Month Player (Under-21) Club Player (Under-19) Club March Serhiy Bolbat FC Metalurh Donetsk Roman Pidkivka FC Karpaty Lviv April Mykyta Shevchenko FC Zorya Luhansk Roman Pidkivka FC Karpaty Lviv May Serhiy Bolbat FC Metalurh Donetsk Eduard Sobol FC Shakhtar Donetsk August Ruslan Malinovskyi FC Zorya Luhansk Valeriy Luchkevych FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk September Serhiy Bolbat FC Metalist Kharkiv Valeriy Luchkevych FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk October Mykyta Shevchenko FC Zorya Luhansk Valeriy Luchkevych FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk November Serhiy Myakushko FC Hoverla Uzhhorod Valeriy Luchkevych FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 2014 (final) Ruslan Malinovskyi FC Zorya Luhansk Valeriy Luchkevych FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
2015 Month Player (Under-21) Club Player (Under-19) Club March Serhiy Hryn FC Illichivets Mariupol Valeriy Luchkevych FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk April Serhiy Hryn FC Illichivets Mariupol Maryan Shved FC Karpaty Lviv May Serhiy Hryn FC Illichivets Mariupol Valeriy Luchkevych FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk August Ivan Petryak FC Zorya Luhansk Viktor Kovalenko FC Shakhtar Donetsk September Ivan Petryak FC Zorya Luhansk Viktor Kovalenko FC Shakhtar Donetsk October Ivan Petryak FC Zorya Luhansk Viktor Kovalenko FC Shakhtar Donetsk November Ivan Petryak FC Zorya Luhansk Oleksandr Zinchenko FC Ufa 2015 (final) Ivan Petryak FC Zorya Luhansk Viktor Kovalenko FC Shakhtar Donetsk
2016 Month Player (Under-21) Club Player (Under-19) Club March Viktor Kovalenko FC Shakhtar Donetsk Maryan Shved Sevilla FC April Viktor Kovalenko FC Shakhtar Donetsk Oleksiy Hutsulyak FC Karpaty Lviv May Viktor Kovalenko FC Shakhtar Donetsk Oleksiy Hutsulyak FC Karpaty Lviv August Viktor Kovalenko FC Shakhtar Donetsk Denys Balanyuk FC Dnipro September Viktor Kovalenko FC Shakhtar Donetsk Viktor Tsyhankov FC Dynamo Kyiv October Roman Yaremchuk FC Oleksandriya Viktor Tsyhankov FC Dynamo Kyiv November Artem Besyedin FC Dynamo Kyiv Viktor Tsyhankov FC Dynamo Kyiv 2016 (final) Viktor Kovalenko FC Shakhtar Donetsk Viktor Tsyhankov FC Dynamo Kyiv
2017 Month Player (Under-21) Club Player (Under-19) Club March Artem Besyedin FC Dynamo Kyiv Andriy Lunin FC Dnipro April Artem Besyedin FC Dynamo Kyiv Andriy Lunin FC Dnipro May Artem Besyedin FC Dynamo Kyiv Andriy Lunin FC Dnipro July Viktor Tsyhankov FC Dynamo Kyiv Stanislav Bilenkyi FC Olimpik Donetsk August Mykola Matviyenko FC Vorskla Poltava Stanislav Bilenkyi FC Olimpik Donetsk September Mykola Matviyenko FC Vorskla Poltava Andriy Lunin FC Zorya Luhansk October Mykola Matviyenko FC Vorskla Poltava Andriy Lunin FC Zorya Luhansk November Viktor Tsyhankov FC Dynamo Kyiv Andriy Lunin FC Zorya Luhansk 2017 (final) Viktor Tsyhankov FC Dynamo Kyiv Andriy Lunin FC Zorya Luhansk
2018 Month Player (Under-21) Club Player (Under-19) Club March Viktor Tsyhankov FC Dynamo Kyiv Andriy Lunin FC Zorya Luhansk April Viktor Tsyhankov FC Dynamo Kyiv Andriy Lunin FC Zorya Luhansk May Viktor Tsyhankov FC Dynamo Kyiv Andriy Lunin FC Zorya Luhansk July Viktor Tsyhankov FC Dynamo Kyiv Vladyslav Supriaha SC Dnipro-1 August Maryan Shved FC Karpaty Lviv Vladyslav Supriaha FC Dynamo Kyiv September Viktor Tsyhankov FC Dynamo Kyiv Vladyslav Vakula FC Mariupol October Mykola Shaparenko FC Dynamo Kyiv Vitalii Mykolenko FC Dynamo Kyiv November Viktor Tsyhankov FC Dynamo Kyiv Vitalii Mykolenko FC Dynamo Kyiv 2018 (final) Viktor Tsyhankov FC Dynamo Kyiv Vitalii Mykolenko FC Dynamo Kyiv
2019 Month Player (Under-21) Club Player (Under-19) Club March Vitalii Mykolenko FC Dynamo Kyiv Heorhiy Tsitaishvili FC Dynamo Kyiv April Vitalii Mykolenko FC Dynamo Kyiv Heorhiy Tsitaishvili FC Dynamo Kyiv May–June Andriy Lunin CD Leganés Danylo Sikan FC Mariupol August Bohdan Lyednyev FC Zorya Luhansk Oleksandr Nazarenko SC Dnipro-1 September Bohdan Lyednyev FC Zorya Luhansk Vladyslav Supriaha SC Dnipro-1 October Bohdan Lyednyev FC Zorya Luhansk Oleksandr Nazarenko SC Dnipro-1 November Vitalii Mykolenko FC Dynamo Kyiv Danylo Sikan FC Shakhtar Donetsk 2019 (final) Vitalii Mykolenko FC Dynamo Kyiv Heorhiy Tsitaishvili FC Dynamo Kyiv
2020 Month Player (Under-21) Club Player (Under-19) Club March Vladyslav Supriaha SC Dnipro-1 Arseniy Batahov SC Dnipro-1 April–May COVID-19 pandemic June Andriy Lunin Real Oviedo Pavlo Isenko FC Vorskla Poltava Jule Vladyslav Supriaha SC Dnipro-1 Anatoliy Trubin FC Shakhtar Donetsk September Vladyslav Supriaha FC Dynamo Kyiv Illya Zabarnyi FC Dynamo Kyiv October Viktor Korniyenko FC Shakhtar Donetsk Illya Zabarnyi FC Dynamo Kyiv November Vitalii Mykolenko FC Dynamo Kyiv Illya Zabarnyi FC Dynamo Kyiv 2020 (final) Vitalii Mykolenko FC Dynamo Kyiv Illya Zabarnyi FC Dynamo Kyiv
2021 Month Player (Under-21) Club Player (Under-19) Club February Anatoliy Trubin FC Shakhtar Donetsk Illya Zabarnyi FC Dynamo Kyiv March Anatoliy Trubin FC Shakhtar Donetsk Illya Zabarnyi FC Dynamo Kyiv April Anatoliy Trubin FC Shakhtar Donetsk Illya Zabarnyi FC Dynamo Kyiv May Anatoliy Trubin FC Shakhtar Donetsk Illya Zabarnyi FC Dynamo Kyiv August Mykhailo Mudryk FC Shakhtar Donetsk Illya Zabarnyi FC Dynamo Kyiv September Mykhailo Mudryk FC Shakhtar Donetsk Illya Zabarnyi FC Dynamo Kyiv October Mykhailo Mudryk FC Shakhtar Donetsk Illya Zabarnyi FC Dynamo Kyiv November Mykhailo Mudryk FC Shakhtar Donetsk Illya Zabarnyi FC Dynamo Kyiv 2021 (final) Mykhailo Mudryk FC Shakhtar Donetsk Illya Zabarnyi FC Dynamo Kyiv
2022 Month Player (Under-21) Club Player (Under-19) Club March Russo-Ukrainian War April Russo-Ukrainian War May Russo-Ukrainian War September Mykhailo Mudryk FC Shakhtar Donetsk Nazar Voloshyn FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih October Mykhailo Mudryk FC Shakhtar Donetsk Marko Sapuha FC Rukh Lviv November Mykhailo Mudryk FC Shakhtar Donetsk Nazar Voloshyn FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih 2022 (final) Mykhailo Mudryk FC Shakhtar Donetsk Nazar Voloshyn FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih
2023 Month Player (Under-21) Club Player (Under-19) Club March Heorhiy Sudakov FC Shakhtar Donetsk Anton Tsarenko FC Dynamo Kyiv April Vladyslav Vanat FC Dynamo Kyiv Anton Tsarenko FC Dynamo Kyiv May Volodymyr Brazhko FC Zorya Luhansk Andriy Buleza FC Mynai August Illya Zabarnyi AFC Bournemouth Bohdan Slyubyk FC Rukh Lviv September Heorhiy Sudakov FC Shakhtar Donetsk Bohdan Slyubyk FC Rukh Lviv October Heorhiy Sudakov FC Shakhtar Donetsk Yevheniy Pastukh FC Rukh Lviv November Illya Zabarnyi AFC Bournemouth Yehor Yarmolyuk Brentford F.C. 2023 (final) Heorhiy Sudakov FC Shakhtar Donetsk Yehor Yarmolyuk Brentford F.C.
2024 Month Player (Under-21) Club Player (Under-19) Club March Nazar Voloshyn FC Dynamo Kyiv Taras Mykhavko FC Dynamo Kyiv April Nazar Voloshyn FC Dynamo Kyiv Matviy Ponomarenko FC Dynamo Kyiv May Nazar Voloshyn FC Dynamo Kyiv Matviy Ponomarenko FC Dynamo Kyiv August Illya Kvasnytsya FC Rukh Lviv Taras Mykhavko FC Dynamo Kyiv September Illya Krupskyi FC Vorskla Poltava Taras Mykhavko FC Dynamo Kyiv October Oleh Ocheretko FC Karpaty Lviv Taras Mykhavko FC Dynamo Kyiv November-december Yehor Yarmolyuk Brentford F.C. Taras Mykhavko FC Dynamo Kyiv 2024 (final) Yehor Yarmolyuk Brentford F.C. Taras Mykhavko FC Dynamo Kyiv
2025 Month Player (Under-21) Club Player (Under-19) Club March Yehor Yarmolyuk Brentford F.C. Artem Stepanov Bayer 04 Leverkusen April Yehor Yarmolyuk Brentford F.C. Artem Stepanov Bayer 04 Leverkusen May Yehor Yarmolyuk Brentford F.C. Denys Marchenko FC Obolon Kyiv August Yehor Yarmolyuk Brentford F.C. Bohdan Popov Empoli FC September Yehor Yarmolyuk Brentford F.C. Hennadiy Synchuk CF Montréal October Yehor Yarmolyuk Brentford F.C. Nazar Domchak FC Karpaty Lviv November-december Yehor Yarmolyuk Brentford F.C. Matviy Ponomarenko FC Dynamo Kyiv 2025 (final) Yehor Yarmolyuk Brentford F.C. Matviy Ponomarenko FC Dynamo Kyiv
2026 Month Player (Under-21) Club Player (Under-19) Club February-march Matviy Ponomarenko FC Dynamo Kyiv Bohdan Redushko FC Dynamo Kyiv April Matviy Ponomarenko FC Dynamo Kyiv Nazar Domchak FC Karpaty Lviv May Matviy Ponomarenko FC Dynamo Kyiv Nazar Domchak FC Karpaty Lviv August Matviy Ponomarenko FC Dynamo Kyiv Artem Stepanov FC Utrecht September October November-december 2026 (final)
References
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