Socceroo Captain Mile Jedinak capped off a remarkable 12 months last night when he was named AFC International Player of the Year 2014 at the AFC Annual Awards in Manila.
Jedinak was recognised for his stellar season as captain of Crystal Palace in the English Premier League as well as his performances for the Socceroos, which included leading the team at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Australian Football received widespread recognition at the AFC Awards Night with Katrina Gorry (AFC Female Player of the Year), Tony Popovic (AFC Coach of the Year) and the Western Sydney Wanderers (AFC Club of the Year) also claiming awards.
Jedinak was thrilled to receive the award, describing the recognition as: “A huge personal accolade considering the high calibre of players from the AFC playing in all of the top leagues around the world”.
“To be recognised by the AFC for the year I had is important to me and I'm very humbled at receiving this award,” Jedinak said. “I’d like to recognise my teammates for both club and Country for an incredible last 12 months. It has been a year I won't forget in a hurry.
“I’d like to thank all the Socceroos fans who followed us on our World Cup Journey in Brazil and beyond as well as the people who've watched the premier league and Crystal Palace FC over the last year at all hours of the morning and been on this amazing journey with me.
“Lastly none of this is possible without all the support I receive from my family both in the UK and back home in Australia, so on that note, this one is for you!”