Bruno Katz has been named the best Finnish youth player of 2024 by the Finnish Football Association and Finland’s top flight, the Veikkausliiga. The wide forward, who plies his trade for VfL’s Under-17 team, accepted the prestigious award in person as part of the “Captain’s Ball” in Helsinki on Thursday evening.
“A great honour”
“It’s a great honour to be named youth player of the year,” said Katz. “I’ve worked hard for this and it feels like my efforts have already paid off. However, there’s still a lot of work ahead of me and I have high ambitions which I want to achieve. I’ve had – and still have – outstanding team-mates and coaches who have helped me overcome difficult challenges up to now. They’re a big part of this award.”
The 16-year-old has hit the ground running after joining VfL’s academy from HJK Helsinki’s youth system in summer 2024. With six goals (and two assists) in 12 DFB Youth League appearances, Katz is currently second in the U17s’ goalscoring charts. He has enjoyed even greater success at international level, registering eight goals and three assists in 13 appearances for Finland’s U17s.
Gentner praises “creativity and goal threat”
“We congratulate Bruno on this award and his outstanding performances this year,” said Michael Gentner, director of VfL’s academy. “He has settled in incredibly quickly at VfL Wolfsburg, setting himself apart with his attacking creativity and goal threat. His character and professional attitude complete a very positive overall picture. We’re proud and looking forward to the next few years with him.”
