MD International Footballer of the Year Award
In a nutshell:
Our annual award to the best international player (i.e. who isn't from Great Britain or Ireland).
Awarded to:
It's open to any player who isn't from from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.
Voted by:
Us, midfielddynamo.com
When:
At the end of each year.
Worth a mention:
1. We try not to pick the most obvious choice.
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Daniel Alves (Brazil and Sevilla) | Juan Roman Riquelme (Argentina and Boca Juniors) | Luka Modric (Croatia and Dinamo Zagreb) |
Details : 2007
The majority of more mainstream football gongs in 2007 may have gone to the likes of Kaka, Messi, Ronaldo and Drogba,
but MD has opted for the player who entertained us more than anyone else during the year - Daniel Alves.
Juande Ramos' exciting brand of all-out attacking football at Sevilla was a joy to watch, and non more so than
the young Brazilian 'defender', who seemed to spend 95% of the game flying up and down the right flank like a
man possessed, and the remaining 5% taking a well deserved breather. We say defender, but how do you best describe
a player who seems to be better on the wing than most specialists of that position ? His breathless performances
helped the club to a host of titles in 2007, including the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup and the successful
defence of their UEFA Cup title. He now seems to have settled back in at the Andalusian club following arguments
over the collapse of potential moves to both Liverpool and Chelsea.
Our runners-up spot goes to Juan Roman Riquelme for almost single handedly inspiring Boca Juniors to their 6th
Copa Libertadores title, whilst 3rd place goes to another midfield playmaker, Croatian youngster Luka Modric, who
displayed the kind of skill and guile that his English counterparts didn't.
