Players’ Young Player of the Year – Letheris Lyratzis
They say patience is a virtue. And he waited patiently for his chance. He knew it would not be long before it came, and that when it happened he had to be ready. And he was, and then some. Lefteris Lyratzis broke into the first team so fast that the Players’ Young Player of the Year award is officially his – by vote of his teammates.
It was the least that he deserved, however still of great emotional, for his perseverance, his diligence, and the character and personality he showed from the moment he arrived on the scene. It was all of these elements which kept him on top pf his game, ensured he remained strong, and finally made him not just stand on his feet, but stand out from the crowd.
Lefteris won everything as a PAOK Academy player, he became an international at every level of Greece’s youth setup, and he was promoted to the first team squad at the age of 18. He made his debut, but somewhere along the way at that point the fairy tale began to acquire … dragons, as we say in Greece. His playing time was minimal, due to the fact that the competition was incredibly strong with players like Matos around.
Loan spells, a common practice in such cases, boosted his self-confidence. At Volos he saw his talents flourish further, playing in almost 30 games in the top flight, also scoring his first goal at the senior professional level. And in the summer of 2020, he returned to the club to fight for a place in the squad’s rotation.
The 2020-21 season was essentially a setback in the field of playing time. It took a while, but he never stopped believing in his strengths, working hard and absorbing the daily lessons like a sponge.
Last summer, Razvan Lucescu kept him on the roster, but the season did not start as expected up until December. The Romanian coach then gave him his opportunity and Lyratzis not only snatched it, but he also made a place in the starting lineup his own.
Lyratzis upped his level and within six months he was transformed from a youngster who battles to get a few minutes, into a key and irreplaceable player at PAOK, with some excellent performances against big clubs, even earning a call-up to Greece’s full senior national team.
His teammates recognized his efforts and have named him the Players’ Young Player of the Year. In second place was Charis Tsingaras. A story similar to that of Lyratzis, who saw the season not start with the best of omens, but the finale found him as one of the team’s main players. Third was the unluckliest player of the season, Giannis Michailidis, who saw his campaign cut short due to a knee injury.
