Wellington Phoenix live-wire Alyssa Whinham and Sydney FC central midfielder Patrick Yazbek have earned the January nominations for female and male Young Footballer of the Year respectively.
Whinham, 18, has been a shining light for the ‘Nix this season, scoring one of her side’s five goals to date across 10 testing appearances in a debut Liberty A-League season for both herself and the club.
The young Kiwi became an online sensation after scoring her maiden league goal on January 16 in a 3-2 loss to Brisbane Roar. In the aftermath of the magic moment Whinham was told she’d gone viral on social media – not for the goal, but for the celebration that ensued.
That beaming smile of an up-and-coming footballer ticking off a personal goal in a whirlwind introduction to professional football will go down as one of the moments of the Liberty A-League campaign.
Yazbek, meanwhile, has come on in leaps and bounds since making his Isuzu UTE A-League starting debut for the Sky Blues in December, 2021 against Wellington.
Operating in the centre of the park, Yazbek went on to play consecutive 90-minute shifts – including four in January – for Steve Corica’s side. In the absence of key midfielder Luke Brattan, Yazbek has worked to help plug a significant gap in Sydney’s midfield.
Through his six appearances to date this season, the 19-year-old has passed at 87.6% accuracy, increasing that number to 91.9% in the final third, engaging in 48 duels and making 31 ball recoveries.
Both Yazbek and Whinham were notified of their nomination for the respective Young Player of the Year Awards by their coaches, Gemma Lewis (Wellington) and Corica (Sydney FC), each receiving an encouraging round of applause by their teammates and coaches.
