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Ashley Jackson - World Young Player of the Year 2009

posted on 07/12/2009

It is the first time since the award was introduced that an English player has won an international player of the year award.

21 year old Jackson was awarded the Young Player of the Year title after being named on a shortlist of six athletes that included the 2008 winner Eddie Ockenden (Grays) of Australia and Robbert Kempermann of the Netherlands, who has impressed during the ABN AMRO Champions Trophy.

The skillful number seven received his award shortly after scoring twice in England’s playoff defeat to Spain at the ABN AMRO Champions Trophy in Melbourne, where England have been in action for the past nine days.

Former Sutton Valence pupil Jackson, who plays club hockey for HGC in the Netherlands and previously played for East Grinstead in the England Hockey League Men’s Premier Division, was declared the winner as a result of his consistently impressive performances over the past year.  Among those performances were a number of match-winning displays at the EuroHockey Nations Championships in Amstelveen this summer where his eight goals led England to their first ever gold medal in a major tournament.

Well done from everybody at Grays!