Nikolic wins MLS Golden Boot

Nemanja Nikolic had himself a decent debut campaign in MLS.

The Chicago Fire forward finished his first season in the North American top flight atop the goal-scoring charts on 24 goals, two clear of defending MLS MVP David Villa, to win the MLS Golden Boot on Sunday.

Bastian Schweinsteiger's move to the Windy City may have hogged the headlines, but Nikolic's transfer to the Fire was the club's most influential addition. The 23-time capped Hungarian international swapped Polish giant Legia Warsaw for Chicago in December as a Designated Player and hit the ground running, scoring 10 goals in his first 10 matches.

Nikolic becomes the seventh international player to capture the Golden Boot since it was changed from a points system in 2005. The last five winners all hold foreign passports. New York Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips won in two of the last three years, while Toronto FC star Sebastian Giovinco took the 2015 honors.