Leo Lacroix has received a nomination for the PFA Men’s Footballer of the Year award after an outstanding debut campaign at Western United.
The award recognises A-Leagues players and Australians playing abroad that have brought a significant contribution to their team and competition over the 2021/22 campaign.
The nominees were selected by the PFA Awards Committee, which is a combination of former professional players and Australian football media personalities, and the winners will be down to a PFA Member Vote.
Lacroix is one of two A-League Men stars to be nominated alongside Melbourne City’s Florin Berenguer, while Tom Rogic and Mitch Langerak round out the four-man list after their impressive seasons overseas.
The winner will be announced alongside a host of other awards at the Dolan Warren Awards ceremony on Thursday May 26 which will bring together the best in Australian men’s and women’s football.
Lacroix immediately took to life in Australia, instantly becoming one of the most eye-catching players in the A-League Men and winning the PFA Player of the Month award for the first month of the season in November.
The Swiss star was nominated for the honour again in December and continued to be a leading figure for Western United at the back.
A total of 46 interceptions across the season ranked him third in the league and he also chipped in at the other end with three goals at a rate of 0.23 goals per shot, which was sixth best in the competition.
Towering at six-feet-six-inches, Lacroix has at times been an immovable object at set pieces both offensively and defensively, but his movement and reading of the game from the ground were also exemplary.
Add to that his high-quality distribution skills and Lacroix brought everything United needed to the centre back position, helping the side to the second best defensive record and the most clean sheets in the league.
The nomination continues a superb week for Lacroix who was selected as one of 13 fan-voted players for the A-Leagues All-Stars who will face FC Barcelona on May 25.
The week will be made even sweeter if Lacroix can help Western United to a win over Melbourne Victory in Saturday’s A-League Men Semi-Final second leg and book the Club’s spot in its first ever Grand Final.
