Blues striker Ali Al-Hamadi has won the Iraq Soccer Star award for the Best Iraqi Player Outside of Iraq in 2023, the second successive year he has carried off the gong.
Accepting the award remotely, Al-Hamadi said: "This means a lot to me, of course. It’s nice to be recognised for your hard work, for your performances on the pitch, and I’m really grateful for the award and to the people who picked me.”
The 22-year-old was born in Iraq and raised in Liverpool, his family having sought refuge in the UK in 2003 at the start of the war in their home country.
Al-Hamadi, who joined the Blues from AFC Wimbledon in January, has won 12 senior caps, scoring three international goals.
He could add to his international appearances later in the month when Iraq take on the Philippines in Basra and then in Manila in World Cup qualifiers on March 21st and 26th.