VfL Wolfsburg midfielder Maximilian Arnold was named as Lower Saxony Player of the Year 2021 in Barsinghausen on Monday, following on from former VfL Women forward Pernille Harder, who took the prize in 2020.
Arnold, who is VfL’s all-time record appearance maker in the Bundesliga with 284 games, accepted the award during a small ceremony in front of invited guests at the Sporthotel Fuchsbachtal. The vote is organised annually by the Lower Saxony Football Association (NFV) in cooperation with the Lower Saxony Sports Press Association.
“Football is a team sport”
“This award is a special one for me,” said the 27-year-old, who was accompanied by his wife Jenny and VfL managing director Jörg Schmadtke. “I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for me. Football is a team sport. That's why this award also belongs to the coach, my teammates and all the people around me.”
Third time lucky
Arnold’s success comes at the third attempt, having also been nominated for the award in 2014 and 2016. “We would have liked to honour Maximilian Arnold a lot earlier than today,” said NFV president Günter Distelrath. “But the virus that has turned our world upside down since March 2020 has unfortunately also affected us here, meaning that a tribute in the manner that we feel is appropriate was not possible until mid-March this year.”
