Rockdale teen footballer Noah Botic first Dylan Tombides award recipient
It’s a very special football award and it has gone to a very special player currently representing Australia at the World Cup in Brazil.
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He helped put the Joeys into the final round of 16 at the World Cup and now young Sydney striker Noah Botic has received a major accolade in memory of a young football star who died of cancer.
Rockdale football sensation, who has a scholarship contract with Bundesliga club Hoffenheim, was unveiled as the inaugural recipient of the Dylan Tombides Medal while representing his country in Brazil.
The try-scoring whiz, who left the field with a brace against a Nigeria last weekend to keep the Joeys campaign alive at the World Cup, was presented with the award prior to Australia’s match against France in Brazil on Thursday.
“It feels amazing, I couldn’t be happier,” said the 17-year-old Botic.
“It tells me that I am working hard constantly on and off the pitch and confirms that I’m on the right track to become a professional footballer.
“To see that (Joeys coach) Trevor Morgan and the PFA have picked me to win this award has made me feel excited about what is still to come in the future.
“After Trevor mentioned Dylan, it’s touched me a bit about his story and him playing for a young Australian side and him having that sort of difficulty in his life wasn’t easy, so he has inspired me.”
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Tombides, an Australian youth international who played as a striker for West Ham United, died of testicular cancer at the age of 20 in 2014.
“We are very proud that a player from this Joeys team was selected as the first recipient of the Dylan Tombides Medal,’’ Morgan said.
“It’s nice for Noah, being a striker, to win this special award, named after a young Aussie striker with tremendous potential who was taken from us way too early.”
The Medal, introduced through a joint PFA and FFA initiative, is awarded to a player selected from the under 17 (Joeys), under 20 (Young Socceroos) and under 23 Australian teams.
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