He arrived in the summer of 2017 in order to complete one of the three goalkeeper slots. Gradually, and through hard work and dedication to his goald, he grabbed his chance from Razvan Lucescu with both hands and since then he has never looked back.

After the Greek Cup final defeat to Panathinaikos at the OAKA final, he announced his decision to leave PAOK. In his own words, he came to the club as a blonde-haired kid, and leaves as a man, and a Greek international, having also won three Greek Cups as well as one undefeated Super League championship.

This season may have ended without a trophy, but that can’t sour what was probably his best-ever season on a personal level. More mature than ever, he was a true leader of the defensive line, giving his teammates confidence, while with his unique blend of madcap humour and his booming voice, he always kept everyone alert until the last second of the season.

His teammates, the ose with whom he shared the dressing rooms in a … crazy season, honored him with their vote and gave him the prize of the season’s MVP.

The Goldkeeper beat off competition from Jasmin Kurtic, who came second in the internal poll, and Douglas Augusto, who also produced his best performances in a PAOK jersey in a very good season.

In his final lengthy interview, Alexandros Paschalakis talks about receiving the Players’ Player of the Year award and discusses his five-year stint at the Toumba.