Wellington Phoenix striker Nathan Burns has become just the second Australian to be named A-League player of the year by Australia’s football media.
The 26-year-old former AEK player has enjoyed a career resurgence since returning to the A-League with Phoenix, scoring 13 goals to come second in the race for the golden boot behind Marc Janko.
His stellar form earned him a call up to Australia’s AFC Asian Cup 2015 squad this year.
Burns took out the Football Media Association (FMA) award ahead of Melbourne Victory’s Gui Finkler and Sydney FC’s Janko, who tallied the third-most votes.
Brisbane Roar midfielder and fellow Australia international Matt McKay is the only other Australian to have claimed the gong, with other previous winners including Thomas Broich, Alessandro del Piero, Besart Berisha and Carlos Hernandez.
The FMA, which was established in 2008, also named Sydney FC as the club of the year for the first time.
Burns also collected the Wellington Phoenix Golden Boot, Players’ Player of the Year and overall Player of the Year gongs.