Lithuania honours Steaua goalkeeper Arlauskis

FC Steaua Bucureşti goalkeeper Giedrius Arlauskis has won the 50th Lithuanian player of the year poll while Deividas Šemberas picked up the domestic prize.

Arlauskis, who turned 27 on Monday, moved to Steaua in the summer from FC Rubin Kazan and has kept seven clean sheets in helping his club build up a seven-point lead atop the Romanian First Division, as well as establishing himself as Lithuania's first-choice keeper.

He had only made seven Russian Premier-Liga appearances in four years with Rubin but has confirmed his excellent reputation in Romania, where he also helped FC Unirea Urziceni to the 2008/09 title. Arlauskis narrowly won the vote of fans and experts ahead of winger Arvydas Novikovas of FC Erzgebirge Aue.

"Everyone had written me off after my time at Rubin," Arlauskis said. "But my persistence paid off. Even I didn't expect to be so fortunate so quickly and win any awards."

Former PFC CSKA Moskva defender Šemberas, 36, was named domestic player of the year after captaining VMFD Žalgiris to a second straight championship. Žalgiris's Marek Zub is coach of the year while FK Atlantas winger Donatas Kazlauskas was honoured as best domestic young player.