Emiliano Lattes was the most consistent and reliable player in the BOV Premier League last season, according to The Times/Sunday Times team of football journalists.
The 26-year-old Argentine winger may have been overlooked for the main awards in the other annual contests but finished top of our classification of leading performers with an impressive total of 185 points.
Lattes’s nomination as The Times best player may be met with a few raised eyebrows in light of Birkirkara’s failure to win any silverware but our award doesn’t necessarily honour the most eye-catching player but the one who sustained a high level of consistency and played most games.
To this end, Lattes, who will play for Marsaxlokk this season, had a distinct edge over the others.
He received a mark for each of his 28 appearances in the league whereas the likes of Valletta’s Roderick Briffa, who last week capped an excellent season by winning the Malta FA player of the award, missed three games and failed to gain a mark in another one after succumbing to injury early in the match.
It is testament to Lattes’s re-markable contribution last season that he garnered two points more than Denni’s 2009/10 winning total of 183 points.
Named BOV player of the match on no fewer than seven occasions, Lattes, who has made a name for himself as a fast and agile winger, was also voted best player for February.
Champions Valletta have four players in the top placings with goalkeeper Andrew Hogg second on 172 points, Jonathan Caruana 165.5, Ian Azzopardi 164.5 and Steve Borg 161.
Two players who helped Floriana claim second place in the Premier League also made the top 10 with veteran stalwart Ivan Woods third on 171 points and Mano Micallef, the Greens’ player of the year, fourth on 168.5.
Marsaxlokk’s Martin Deanov, Cristiano, the Brazilian forward who played for Tarxien last season, and Ħamrun Spartans’ striker Gaetan Spiteri are tied on 162.5 points with Marsaxlokk goalkeeper Reuben Gauci eighth on 162.
Top three (by club)
Birkirkara: 1. E. Lattes 185; 2. M. Galea 149.5; 3. A. Buhagiar 142.5.
Floriana: 1. I. Woods 171; 2. M. Micallef 168.5; 3. T. Farrugia 158.
Ħamrun Spartans: 1. G. Spiteri 162.5; 2. M. Grima 154; 3. D. Camilleri 149.5.
Hibernians: 1. E. Herrera 152; 2. A. Cohen 149; 3. M. Muscat 130.
Qormi: 1. J. Vandelannoite 132.5; 2. J. Farrugia 128.5; 3. S. Giglio 114.
Marsaxlokk: 1. M. Deanov 162.5; 2. R. Gauci 162; 3. G. Sciberras 159.
Sliema Wanderers: 1. Jackson Lima 133; 2. C. Gatt Baldacchino 119.5; 3. J.P. Mifsud Triganza 118.
Tarxien Rainbows: 1. Cristiano 162.5; 2. Everton 152.5; 3. O. Anonam 150.5.
Valletta: 1. A. Hogg 172; 2. J. Caruana 165.5; 3. I. Azzopardi 164.5.
Vittoriosa Stars: 1. Jorge 148; 2. A. Ewurum 128; 3. S. Agius 117.
Top players
1. E. Lattes (Birkirkara) - 185
2. A. Hogg (Valletta) - 172
3. I. Woods (Floriana) - 171
4. M. Micallef (Floriana) - 168.5
5. J. Caruana (Valletta) - 165.5
6. I. Azzopardi (Valletta) - 164.5
7. M. Deanov (Marsaxlokk) - 162.5, Cristiano (Tarxien) - 162.5, G. Spiteri (Ħamrun) - 162.5
8. R. Gauci (Marsaxlokk) - 162
9. S. Borg (Valletta) - 161
10. G. Sciberras (Marsaxlokk) - 159
Previous winners
2004/05: A. Cohen (Hibs)
2005/06: I. Woods (Sliema)
2006/07: D. Bogdanovic (M’xlokk)
2007/08: K. Sammut (Marsaxlokk)
2008/09: K. Scicluna (Valletta)
2009/10: Denni (Tarxien)