Paul Izzo says he is humbled to win both the RAA Members’ Player of the Year and the Hyundai A-League Players’ Player awards.
Izzo enjoyed another strong season as Adelaide United’s undisputed number one.
Izzo assuredness in goal and ability to keep the Reds in matches has earned him the reputation of being one of the competition’s best goalkeepers.
The 25-year-old had the highest number of member votes at the end of the season and Izzo admitted it was a great honour and praised them for their steadfast support.
“It means a lot considering it’s voted by the members,” he said on winning the RAA Members’ Player of the Year.
“They’ve been pretty important for us over the past year and they’re going to be more important for us in the future that’s for sure, because of all the uncertainty.
“But it’s a real honour to win this award and I’m very happy to receive it.”
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Izzo was also acknowledged by his teammates for an influential year and duly claimed the Players’ Player.
“This one probably does mean that bit more considering it’s the people that you work with day in day out,” Izzo revealed.
“Especially with the dramas and situations that we had to deal with, it’s good to receive this award on their behalf I guess.
“While we were all going through these tough times and I think that’s what makes it a lot more special this year than any other year.”
With time to reflect, Izzo gave his assessment of the campaign and said while it was very much inconsistent, he believed the signs going forward are extremely promising.
He added that going unbeaten post the coronavirus lockdown against the top five sides in the league was a testament to their ability when firing on all cylinders.
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The young talent coming through into the first team was also reason for optimism, according to the gloveman.
“It’s a weird one, things were good at the start and we won the cup again,” he explained.
“And we had a few form slumps and we’d go up again, it was a bit of a rollercoaster season.
“But I think the last five games really showed that when everyone is in a good mindset and there’s a lot more positivity around, we went undefeated against the top teams in the league.
“It’s really positive how we ended the season even though we missed out on finals, but I think the message is there; things are alright off the field, we can get it right on the field.
“It’s also really good that we unearthed a few more younger boys as well, so they’ll be challenging next year definitely.
“They’ve got a reputation now to earn a spot in the squad next year.”
