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Michael Owen was 18 years old when he won the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 1998. The striker had announced himself to the Premier League when he scored on his Liverpool debut at the end of the season before, but in his first full season he was phenomenal: a tiny, teenage sensation sweeping past defenders at astonishing speed and scoring 18 goals, making him the league’s joint-top scorer that year. It came, also, on the back of a summer when the late Ted Powell, the former England Under-18s manager, described Owen as England’s most exciting youngster, in a pool with David Beckham and Paul Scholes.

Powell watched Owen shine in a group of England’s most gifted young players at Lilleshall, the Football Association’s old school of excellence, during a challenge to receive the ball 30 yards out and try to score within four seconds, later saying: “It was probably the finest demonstration of finishing I’ve ever seen and it just reaffirmed my belief that if his progress continues he may become one of football’s greatest strikers.”

In 2011, Jack Wilshere was 19 years old when he won PFA Young Player of the Year. He had spent two seasons picking up League Cup games and gaining experience from the bench, becoming only the fifth 16-year-old to play in the Champions League, going out on a short loan to Bolton Wanderers. But then came his breakout year: the England debut, declared by Fabio Capello as “the future” of the nation’s central midfield, 49 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions, particularly impressing physically in a contest against Michael Essien.

Then there was Dele Alli, who had only just turned 20 when he was voted by his peers as English football’s best young player, three years ago. He had made his Premier League debut the previous August and produced an astonishing campaign: 10 goals and nine assists, playing in all but two of Tottenham’s games, an England debut.

What is ‘young’?

Here’s the thing: Alli can win it next year, too, should he stay clear of injury and fully regain form. So he could be bearing down on Euro 2020, with near-on 50 caps to his name, and still be considered as the best young player in English football. Is Alli really “young” still? He may be in years – he turned 23 three weeks ago – but in football experience he is becoming an old hand.

And so we saw on Sunday night, at the PFA’s star-studded awards evening, that Sterling won it, at 24 years old. He was close to beating Virgil van Dijk to the main award, and it almost felt odd giving him the young player trophy. Slightly patronising. A pat on the head: well done, boy.

Age is relative, obviously – if you are 30 or 40 or 50 or 60, then 24 seems young. But if you’re 24, it seems fairly old. Certainly a point in your life when you don’t really want to be considered in the “young” category (I can just about recall this time, almost a decade ago). And being labelled “young” comes with its connotations: lacking maturity, still plenty to prove, full of potential.

What does Sterling still have to prove? He has plenty to win – yes – but he is already one of the world’s best players in one of the world’s best teams, and a veteran of seven full seasons in the Premier League.

Sterling didn’t turn up to collect his award. He had recorded a video. He lightly mocked the award announcement on social media, although then posted a more serious message of gratitude. Had he won the main award, you can be almost certain he would’ve made it to the do at London’s Grosvenor Hotel from Burnley, where City had won, probably via helicopter.

Time to re-draw the line?

He had been joined on the shortlist by team-mate Bernardo Silva. By my calculations, Silva turned 24 on the day the season kicked off in the Friday night opener between Manchester United and Leicester City, on 10 August (that feels like a long, long time ago). Silva is the winner of three league titles in three countries, and many more cups. He has been there and done that. Is he really classed as “young”?

A top limit of 21 years old would surely be fairer. There were plenty of worthy winners aged 21 or under, on the shortlist and beyond. Declan Rice has only just turned 20 in what you’d call a breakout year: England debut, stonking performances in the centre of West Ham’s midfield, deserving of a move to a higher level. Trent Alexander-Arnold, 20, the sensational Liverpool and England defender. David Brooks, 21, Bournemouth midfielder. Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford, 21.

Had Sterling and Silva been deemed too old, then it would have also made room for Leicester City’s James Maddison, 22, and Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff, 21.

Perhaps a tweak will ensure the PFA Young Player of the Year award goes to a young player.

More from Sam Cunningham:

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By Jonathan Valentine — Mauricio Pochettino believes Tottenham Hotspur’s appearance in the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday night is the fulfilment of a dream he had five years ago when he first took charge of the club.

The manager will lead his side into the first leg against Ajax this evening at the club’s recently opened Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which is hosting the second major European night of its short existence following the quarter-final first leg victory over Manchester City three weeks ago.

For the stadium to be already ­hosting such games is way beyond expectations, given that Pochettino’s task when he was appointed in May 2014 was to get Spurs challenging for a Premier League top-four spot by the time their new 62,000-seater home was ready.

Read more: When is Tottenham vs Ajax? Kick-off time, TV channel, team news, odds and predictions

Three top-three finishes later – with a fourth within reach – the manager insists his side have created history by challenging at an elite level alongside having a £1bn stadium built.

“I am living my dream, I am already living it – to be in the semi-final with Tottenham,” said the Argentine. “It was a dream five years ago and we are living it. When you are ambitious and want to achieve big things you need to dream. I was always a dreamer.

“When I was very young, I dreamed in my hometown in Murphy one day to be a football player and I achieved it. It was tough to achieve all that I dreamed but I believe there is power in your mind when you are determined to achieve, the thing you dream is only time and to wait and work hard to try and get.”

‘What no other club could do’

Pochettino recalled that his first meeting with chairman Daniel Levy took place when the Tottenham chairman was dressed in pyjamas.

“My first meeting was in his house and he was without shoes, like in his pyjamas, but it was in the ­afternoon,” said the manager. “We were talking about my feeling about the squad of Tottenham. In the squad were more than 30, I think 34 or 35 players. I said ‘oh it’s an NFL team’. How are you going to handle that?

Read more: Tottenham team news: Two formation options against Ajax

“That was my first meeting with him. We talked a lot about my ideas, our ideas and how we can share them. The principle objective was to help the club finish the training ground and build the stadium but [while] being competitive.

“That was the most important thing, the ambition. Because to have a project that is only to finish the stadium and facilities is not me. I love to play for the glory. It was an ambitious project, in different ways to our opponents, to develop a project to be sure we are going to be financially safe to help the club achieve what we achieve after five years and be competitive.

“I’m so proud, because we can develop two different things in football no other club could do: the most unbelievable facilities and then put the club on the sports side in a very competitive place, reduce the gap to top four, be contenders and play Champions League in three, four years.”

Big name absences

Spurs must overcome the absences of the injured Harry Kane and the suspended Son Heung-min. Pochettino admitted his side suffered from “stress and fatigue” as they laboured to defeat to West Ham on Saturday, but he is adamant the emotion of a first semi-final in the Champions League era will carry his side through.

Read more: How Ajax got the magic back under Cruyff disciple Erik ten Hag

“The energy, the chance to play a semi-final for ­Tottenham does not happen often,” he said. “We are in circumstances impossible to change and must be ready. It’s a game it’s impossible to tire of, it’s impossible not to be excited to play. It’s all mental. The energy is going to be there, no doubt.”

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Jan Vertonghen is set to return to the Tottenham side to face his former club Ajax in the Champions League semi-final first leg after missing defeat to West Ham on Saturday.

The defender has enjoyed a stellar Champions League campaign, turning in one of Spurs’ best performances of the season in the last 16 against Dortmund.

Read more: How Ajax got the magic back under Cruyff disciple Erik ten Hag

His return to fitness, along with the absences of forwards Harry Kane (injury), Son Heung-min (suspension) and Vincent Janssen (ineligible) plus a lack of fully fit midfielders, gives Mauricio Pochettino plenty to think about.

Option one: 4-2-3-1

Pochettino has opted for a back four throughout most of this season, with Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld at the centre of defence, Danny Rose or Ben Davies at left-back and Kieran Trippier or Serge Aurier at right-back.

Read more: When is Tottenham vs Ajax? Kick-off time, TV channel, team news, odds and predictions

With Harry Winks out and Moussa Sissoko still recovering from injury, Eric Dier and Victor Wanyama are the only fully fit options to start in the centre of midfield.

Playing both men would give the midfield a ponderous, immobile feel to it so Pochettino is more likely to go for one and hope Sissoko can get through the 90 minutes.

With the aforementioned Son, Kane and Janssen also out, that leaves a dearth of options going forward.

In a 4-2-3-1, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli are shoo-ins for the spots in behind the striker which is almost certain to be Fernando Llorente. That leaves one other attacking spot which could be taken up by Lucas Moura.

Option two: 3-4-3

Alternatively Pochettino could revert to a back three, a tactic he used with success against Dortmund, in a bid to better counter Ajax’s own 4-2-3-1 system.

Read more: Ajax undermine haughty facade of Cristiano Ronaldo project at Juventus with Total Football 2.0

That formation would most likely see Vertonghen, Alderweireld and Davinson Sanchez – all Ajax old boys – line up at the centre of defence with Danny Rose and Kieran Trippier as wing-backs.

Spurs could then stick with a more mobile attacking unit comprised of Dier and Sissoko in midfield with Eriksen and Alli ahead of them and Moura as a false nine with the option of bringing Llorente off the bench for a bit of mayhem late on.

More on the Champions League:

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Two of the great stories of this season’s Champions League go head-to-head as Tottenham host Ajax on Tuesday evening.

Spurs have reached their first semi-final since 1962 despite not spending a single penny in the past two transfer windows.

Ajax have made the last four for the first time in 22 years with one of the youngest and most exciting teams in the competition.

Here’s everything you need to know about the game:

Match details

Kick-off: 8pm on Tuesday 20 April 2019 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

How to watch: The game will be broadcast live on BT Sport 2 and can be streamed live on the BT Sport website and app

Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP)

Form: Spurs WLLWL Ajax DWWWW

Odds: Spurs 8-5 Draw 12-5 Ajax 19-10

i predicts: 2-1

Team news

Jan Vertonghen is expected to be fit to face his former club after missing the 1-0 defeat to West Ham on Saturday.

The defender has enjoyed a stellar Champions League campaign, turning in one of Spurs’ best performances of the season in the last 16 against Dortmund.

While he is expected to slot into a full-strength defence, Mauricio Pochettino has problems further forward.

Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks are still recovering from muscle injuries and are doubts for the game while Harry Kane is still out with the ankle he twisted in the quarter-final first leg against Manchester City.

Son Heung-min is suspended and Vincent Janssen is ineligible, so Fernando Llorente could be in line for a start up front.

More on the Champions League:

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Manchester City were denied a clear penalty at a goalless scoreline at Burnley, during their Premier League fixture on Sunday.

Liverpool fans, currently locked in a title race with the Manchester club, will have been delighted to see Ashley Barnes’ forearm ricochet David Silva’s shot in the area, and go unpunished for a clear breach of the rules.

An earlier shout for handball had occurred in the match, when the ball struck Vincent Kompany squarely in the forehead and the home crowd appealed to the referee as one. That, correctly, was overlooked. The Barnes decision was too, however the later appeal had a few more question marks over it.

The incident

Fast start from City…#MCFC on the front foot at the start of the second half with two chances in the space of a minute.

Watch live now on Sky Sports PL: https://t.co/iuvyCUWbEF pic.twitter.com/UeONrDsMPX

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 28, 2019

During a period of play in which Manchester City were letting off a lot of shots in and around the Burnley box, David Silva had a strike. Ashley Barnes, stood between Silva and the goal, extended an arm and stopped the ball.

The Manchester City players appealed to referee Paul Tierney, but no penalty was given.

What the rules say

The rules on handling the ball are as follows:

Handling the ball involves a deliberate act of a player making contact with the ball with the hand or arm.

The following must be considered:

• the movement of the hand towards the ball (not the ball towards the hand)
• the distance between the opponent and the ball (unexpected ball)
• the position of the hand does not necessarily mean that there is an offence
• touching the ball with an object held in the hand (clothing, shinguard, etc.) is an offence
• hitting the ball with a thrown object (boot, shinguard, etc.) is an offence

When considering these laws of the game, it seems clear that Ashley Barnes deliberately moved his hand to block the path of the ball, and as such a penalty should have been awarded.

Reaction

Sky Sports commentators noted that David Silva appealed to referee Paul Tierney immediately, adamant that Barnes had handled the ball.

Shortly afterwards, replay showed the Spanish midfielder was right to be aggrieved, as pundits similarly remarked online.

Looked a penalty in normal time. Looked a penalty in slow motion.
Looked a penalty all day long.

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) April 28, 2019

Pat Nevin on 5live speaking about the Barnes penalty incident where the Clarets man escaped handball appeals: "It 100% should have been a penalty.
"Not even a question mark.
"He deliberately put his hand out to stop the ball. City will be absolutely furious."

— Alex James (@alexjameshack) April 28, 2019

Finally seen replay of the Barnes handball – clear penalty denied to #MCFC

— Stuart Brennan (@StuBrennanMEN) April 28, 2019

A few minutes later, Manchester City scored through a Sergio Aguero strike, taking the lead. However, the handball incident could have been a huge oversight and injustice in their title campaign, had the match ended a draw.

At the time of publication, Manchester City lead 0-1 through that goal, while Burnley had not managed a single shot on target.

More on the Premier League:

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Arsenal‘s campaign for a Champions League spot in the Premier League table received a setback on Sunday, when Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ red card paved the way for a Leicester victory.

The Foxes won 3-0 as hosts to Unai Emery’s side, as the Gunners conceded a goal to Youri Tielemans and two to Jamie Vardy.

Arsenal’s defensive shape and organisation for both goals was poor, and a contributing factor will have been the red card received by their right-back in the first half.

The incident

HT #LCFC 0-0 #Arsenal

Ainsley Maitland-Niles red card gives Foxes advantage.

Watch now on Sky Sports PL or follow online here: https://t.co/VfjMH8nLJT pic.twitter.com/n0LsVmGPbz

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 28, 2019

Maitland-Niles received a yellow card eight minutes into the match for a foul, after which James Maddison began to dribble at the defender and force him into uncomfortable positions, begging him to commit to challenges.

For his second card, Maitland-Niles’s loose touch allowed Maddison to win possession for Leicester. In an attempt to recover the ball, the Arsenal right-back lunged for it, and in doing so seemed to make contact with the midfielder, who went down.

Referee Michael Oliver awarded a free kick, stopping advantage, and issued a second yellow and red card to Maitland-Niles.

What the rules say

Maitland Niles’ foul could be interpreted to have committed “in a reckless manner a direct free kick offence” or indeed “a foul simply to interfere with or stop a promising attack”, both of which are cautionable offences.

The interpretation of Law 12 in these situations, however, is notoriously pliable. The challenge appeared more clumsy than truly malicious, but Maitland-Niles was riding his luck after his first yellow.

Reaction

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Sky Sports’ Super Sunday pundits believed the decision to award a red card was harsh. Alex Scott clarifying she didn’t believe the challenge was deserving of a “second yellow card”, while Graeme Souness said the tackle was not a red card.

On BeIN Sports, Ally McCoist said: “I think the first yellow is kind of soft, but once you have the first yellow there’s no way you go in for that challenge.”

Arsenal manager Unai Emery was also clearly upset with the decision, as journalists noted.

Emery throws his coat at the bench, has been remonstrating with fourth official for some time and now he's arguing with the Leicester bench as well. He's got a face like thunder.

— James Benge (@jamesbenge) April 28, 2019

Emery is furious with that decision. Remonstrates with linesman and fourth official before taking his jacket off and throwing it on his seat. A game that they were already second-best in has just got considerably more difficult.

— James Olley (@JamesOlley) April 28, 2019

Souness spot on regarding Maitland-Niles red card; Maddison completely played Michael Oliver. #ARSLEI

— Alex Richards (@AA_Richards) April 28, 2019

Spectators and Arsenal fans were also angry with the decision.

The fact that Maitland-Niles has seen red for those two challenges is ridiculous.

— Phil Costa (@_PhilCosta) April 28, 2019

Maitland-Niles got sent off for two 'fouls' that barely merit a yellow card combined. Arguably neither were even fouls.

— Blahovic (@Blahovic) April 28, 2019

More on the Premier League:

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