Slovak midfielder Marek Hamšík was named Slovakia's Football Player of the Year. (source: TASR)
When Marek Hamšík was born, his grandfather placed a pair of football boots upon his cradle, foretelling his future unwittingly, the Sme daily wrote.
TOP 10 Slovak football players in 2018
Marek Hamšík (S.S.C. Napoli, currently playing for Dalian Yifang)
Milan Škriniar (FC Internazionale Milano)
Stanislav Lobotka (Celta Vigo)
Martin Dúbravka (Newcastle)
Martin Škrtel (Fenerbahce Istanbul)
Róbert Mak (Zenit football club Saint Petersburg/PAOK Solän)
Albert Rusnák (Real Salt Lake City)
Ondrej Duda (Hertha BSC)
Miroslav Stoch (Slavia Praha)
Juraj Kucka (Trabzonspor)
31-year-old Hamšík, a Dalian Yifang midfielder, has been named Slovakia's Football Player of the Year, earning 350 points from 33 football experts. He was named the best football player for the first time in 2009, Sme wrote.
Since then, Hamšík has managed to win the award eight times.
He is also the only player to win six times in a row (2013-2018), beating Dušan Tittel's triple record between 1995 and 1997.
“It proves that I put everything I have into football,” Hamšík told Sme, when asked whether he has become bored with winning the awards.
Inter Milan defender Milan Škriniar came second with 315 points, followed by Stanislav Lobotka, another midfielder who plays in Spain.
In addition, Nestor El Maestro was voted the Best Football Coach in Slovakia for 2018. He trains Spartak Trnava football players, who won the title last year, as reported by Sme.
