Football Federation Australia and NAB are proud to announce Mustafa Amini is the fourth nominee for the 2010/11 NAB Young Footballer of the Year Award.
Football Federation Australia and NAB are proud to announce Mustafa Amini is the fourth nominee for the 2010/11 NAB Young Footballer of the Year Award.
Mustafa Amini from Central Coast Mariners was voted as the most outstanding U/21 player for the month of November, and is the first player ever from the Mariners to be nominated for the prestigious Award.
“I-ve improved massively since the beginning. I feel comfortable in playing which is good.
“Arnie gave me the chance and I was glad I took the chance. I thanked him for that and it-s great to be playing,” said Amini.
Determined by a panel of experts the NAB Young Footballer of the Year – November nominee, Mustafa Amini, was judged on his performance over weeks 13-16 of the Hyundai A-League 2010/11 season.
“It-s a great reward for the kid,” said Mariners Head Coach Graham Arnold.
“He-s done exceptionally well in the last month where we have played a lot of games in a short space of time.
“He-s made a lot of people stand up and take notice.”
After making his starting debut for the Mariners in a 5-nil thrashing of Perth at the end of October, Amini has gone from strength to strength in November and has been a shining light at the point of the Mariners midfield, in victories over North Queensland and Wellington, and hard-fought draws against Melbourne Victory and Newcastle Jets.
The kid from Sydney-s West with the infectious smile is an integral part of Graham Arnold-s youth policy at the Central Coast mariners, which has also seen fellow teenagers Mathew Ryan and Trent Sainsbury make their Hyundai A-League debuts this season.
“We-ve got a great bunch of young boys coming through so hopefully they can get a chance and take it like I have,” Amini said.
At just 17 years of age, Amini has already been earmarked as one of the game-s brightest stars, and was a standout for the Qantas Young Socceroos at the U19-s AFC Championships in China, scoring twice on the way to the final, and helping them qualify for the FIFA U20-s World Cup in Colombia next year.
“It-s every kids dream to go to a World Cup and we are going to be playing in one next year which will be awesome,” said Amini.
Mustafa Amini is the fourth nominated player to be announced, in a list that includes North Queensland Fury-s Chris Payne Adelaide United-s injured star Mathew Leckie, Brisbane Roar-s Luke DeVere, and will be joined in future weeks by three more U/21 players to qualify to be named the NAB Young Footballer of the Year at the Hyundai A-League Awards.
The overall winner will receive a $10,000 personal investment portfolio, a NAB Private Client Manager to assist with a range of banking and financial services, and the inaugural NAB Young Footballer of the Year Award.
To acknowledge the vital role junior football clubs play in the development of today-s young stars as they strive to reach their potential, NAB will also present a $3,000 equipment pack to Mustafa Amini-s nominated junior club, Greystanes F.C.
