Teenage soccer sensation Wayne Rooney has been named among a group of 35 players nominated for FIFA's World Player of the Year award.
Rooney is one of 10 players from the 35 contenders who play their football in the Premiership. Three more of Rooney's new team-mates - Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs and Ruud van Nistelrooy were also nominated.
Thierry Henry, probably the favourite for this year's award, and Robert Pires make up Arsenal's contingent while Chelsea's new boy Didier Drogba is joined by team-mate Frank Lampard.
Liverpool's Milan Baros – top scorer at Euro 2004 – is also nominated as is his Anfield team-mate Steven Gerrard.
Real Madrid are the club with the most nominations as picked alongside Beckham and Owen are Raul, Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo and 2003 winner Zinedine Zidane, while arch-rivals Barcelona have four - Ronaldinho, Deco, Samuel Eto'o and former Celtic striker Henrik Larsson.
FIFA Player of the Year nominees:
Adriano (Brazil), Roberto Ayala (Argentina), Michael Ballack (Germany), Milan Baros (Czech Rep), David Beckham (England), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Cafu (Brazil), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Deco (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Luis Figo (Portugal), Steven Gerrard (England), Ryan Giggs (Wales), Thierry Henry (France), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Oliver Kahn (Germany), Kaka (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Henrik Larsson (Sweden), Roy Makaay (Holland), Paolo Maldini (Italy), Pavel Nedved (Czech Rep), Alessandro Nesta (Italy), Michael Owen (England), Robert Pires (France), Raul (Spain), Roberto Carlos (Brazil), Ronaldinho (Brazil), Ronaldo (Brazil), Wayne Rooney (England), Andrej Shevchenko (Ukraine), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Holland) Theodoros Zagorakis (Greece), Zinedine Zidane (France)
