By David Gold
May 4 – Albanian international Besart Berisha (pictured) of Brisbane Roar has been named as the A-League Player of the Year by the Football Media Association (FMA).
The 26-year-old is in his first season with Brisbane, having signed from German second tier outfit Armini Bielefeld.
Berisha has found the net 21 times – a record – this season and has impressed with his speed and technique, as well as his cool finishing in front of goal.
The two most important goals were in the A-League final victory over Perth Glory (match pictured below, Berisha centre) last month, as Brisbane came from behind to become the first team to defend the title successfully.
He also broke a Brisbane record by becoming the first player to score more than three goals in one match for the club when he netted four against Adelaide United in a 7-1 win.
“It’s a testament to Besart’s skills that he fitted in so well to the Brisbane Roar team,” said FMA President, Ray Gatt.
“Many of us in football’s ‘fourth estate’ thought Brisbane Roar would suffer because of some of the departures from its Premiership winning side from last season, but Ange Postecoglou [Brisbane Roar’s manager] and the players proved us wrong.
“And none more so than Besart who took over where last year’s Golden Boot winner, Kosta Barbarouses, left off.
“Not only is Besart a proven goal scorer, but he has a good football brain.
“He has the ability to exploit space; he consistently puts himself in goal scoring opportunities; and that makes him a very dangerous attacking weapon.”
Berisha has played 17 times for Albania, scoring twice.
His career has also taken him to England with Burnley, Norway with Rosenborg and Denmark with AaB.
Recently, he signed a deal with his club to stay in Brisbane until the end of the 2014.
Previous winners of the award include Matt McKay, who won last year whilst also playing for Brisbane Roar, and Melbourne Victory’s Carlos Hernandez in 2010.
Berisha’s team mate Thomas Broich, former Millwall midfielder Paul Ifill, Harry Kewell, once of Leeds United, Liverpool and Galatasaray, and Matt Ryan from Central Coast Mariners made it to the top five in the voting, but missed out on the award.
The first FMA A-League Club of the Year will be announced this week.
Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1737605138labto1737605138ofdlr1737605138owedi1737605138sni@d1737605138log.d1737605138ivad1737605138