El Hamdaoui honoured in the Netherlands
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
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AZ Alkmaar's Mounir El Hamdaoui has been named Dutch Player of the Season, ahead of FC Groningen keeper Luciano and FC Twente attacker Eljero Elia, and will receive the Golden Boot at a gala event on 31 August.
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AZ Alkmaar forward Mounir El Hamdaoui has been named Dutch Player of the Season, ahead of FC Groningen keeper Luciano and FC Twente attacker Eljero Elia, and will receive the Golden Boot at a gala event on 31 August.
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The Rotterdam-born Moroccan international, who previously played for SBV Excelsior, Tottenham Hotspur FC, Derby County FC and Willem II, has been at AZ since September 2007. He played a huge role in their first title success in 28 years, with his 23 goals making him the Eredivisie's top scorer. He is the first AZ player to win the Golden Boot, which is awarded on the basis of assessments by former internationals throughout the course of the season. The 24-year-old El Hamdaoui succeeds John Heitinga as Player of the Year, with the defender having moved from AFC Ajax to Club Atlético de Madrid last summer. AZ will play in next season's UEFA Champions League group stage.