17-year-old Uruguayan picked among future football stars

Seventeen-year-old Uruguayan Gustavo Viera dreams of joining football's elite and winning the sport's top honours, even more now that France Football magazine has named him among the world's 12 most promising players together with the likes of Marco Asensio, Gabriel Jesus, Dele Alli and Kylian Mbappe.

"I'm really proud because it's a small achievement in my career - not just anyone is mentioned in a magazine like that. I'm very happy and it's something that helps you keep trying harder," Viera told Efe in an interview.

With a scant eight matches on the first team of the Uruguayan Liverpool club, he is already seen to be on his way to stardom, while being watched by some of Europe's leading clubs.

The forward said he learned that his name appeared in France Football while he was at home and got the news on his cell phone.

"When the note came up and I started reading it, I thought it couldn't be true," Viera said, adding that when he discovered it was absolutely true, he felt proud because "it's a small achievement" in his nascent sports career.

The future all-star list includes Killyan Mbappe of the Paris Saint-Germain club, Ousmane Dembele of Barcelona and Gabriel Jesus and Leroy Sane of Manchester City, considered the "golden boys."

--IANS

ajb/bg