Alhassan Yusuf has been rewarded for a remarkable breakthrough season, the diminutive youngster was rewarded for his all-action displays with the league’s Young Player of the Year award at the end-of-season gongs on Tuesday night.
From his position as a central midfielder, Alhassan Yusuf during the Swedish season 2019 has sprung and squeezed opponents like Helsingborg, AIK, Hammarby and Malmö FF, scoring two goals and two assists in 29 games.
– The best match of the year for me. It’s been a very good season for me, the first one where I’ve started matches. My breakthrough says, Alhassan Yusuf.
In competition with players from five elite clubs – IFK Gothenburg, BK Häcken, Örgryte IS, Gais and Göteborg FC – the running midfielder takes home the prize as this year’s football player in Gothenburg.
“I’m really happy about this. There are many good players and big clubs in Gothenburg, so that’s something I’m really proud of,”
The prize is presented at Ullevi, where everything took off in April. The breakthrough came against Helsingborg and AIK.
“The match against Helsingborg was my first from the start, Giorgi (Kharaishvili) had been given a red card and was off, we had many injuries and I was the only one who could play in that position. The match was fantastic, we scored goals and I made a good match.”
Against AIK he took another step – and played centrally.
“The key was how I had performed in the previous matches. It took a lot of effort. I felt I could play. AIK was a big match and I was a little nervous. This came off after ten, fifteen minutes, then I entered the game.”
Last summer he was close to a transfer to Wolverhampton in the Premier League. In the end, it was too short a time to obtain a visa. The deal ran out in the sand – this time.
After a strong spring season for Yusuf, a slight decline came in the fall.
“I got some injuries, it affected me. I think I’m back on my level. It is very difficult to play at the same high level all the time. Bouncing back from a lower level is even better,” he said.
“I was prepared for what was waiting. Among the audience, many wondered who I was, but personally I was ready for what was waiting. I’m not surprised. I knew from the start what I could and what my ability is.”
Aftonbladet reported recently that Wolves had sent scouts to watch Yusuf in action during an Allsvenskan clash between Goteborg and Sirius. After the game, the African teenager admitted that a potential move to Nuno Espirito Santo’s side would be ‘huge’, adding that he would be keen to seal the switch as early as January.
