Fifa have named German forward Thomas Muller as the outstanding young player at the finals in South Africa. The 20-year old took the award ahead of Ghana’s Andre Ayew and Mexico’s Giovani dos Santos .

Muller was one of the standout players in the Germany side that took third place, putting in a number of assured performances that belied his status as one of the most inexperienced players in their squad. The Bayern player also lifted the top goalscorer award, scoring five times in the tournament and providing three assists

"The honour will be with me for all time,” Muller said after receiving the prize. “It's a terrific confirmation of the work I’ve put in over the last year, and it’s a huge honour to be part of a group including the likes of Beckenbauer and Pele.

“It also points to the excellent quality of our youth development work in Germany, so I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff at Bayern Munich and the Germany national set-up, and the coaching team, who have always kept faith with me.

Muller reflected on an amazing experience but admitted to a twinge of regret. “I’ve really enjoyed my football with the lads here,” he said. "What I really wanted was to win the World Cup as part of a team."

The youngster has had an incredible season. Establishing himself in Bayern’s first team, he was part of a side that won the domestic league and cup double as well as reaching the final of the Champions League.

In South Africa, he has become the second youngest player ever to score five times at the finals, behind Pele. Muller’s future in the game looks assured and his performances have been praised worldwide.

Previous winners of the Best Young Player award include Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Michael Owen.