Featuring in the Olympics Games in Rio this year, Foord holds the record as the youngest ever Australian to play for the Matildas at a FIFA World Cup, having played in Germany at the age of 16 years and 230 days. She was subsequently named the first ever Best Young Footballer at the tournament.
The Asian Fottball Confederation Women’s Player of the Year 2016 Caitlin Foord told the-afc.com: “I would like to congratulate the other nominees, Lisa and Tan, for an amazing year. I wasn’t expecting this, thank you to the AFC and congratulations to everyone in Abu Dhabi for hosting this wonderful event. I accept this award on behalf of all the Matildas.
“I feel very honoured and happy to be taking this award back to Australia. This is for the national team, anyone of whom could easily have been here tonight.
“Looking back at the Youth Player of the Year award, I was perhaps too young to really think too much of it. Now of course, I feel very privileged. I think it will be quite nice to reflect on these two awards later in my career.”
The female winners of the AFC Annual Awards 2016 are:
AFC Coach of the Year: Chan Yuen-ting (HKG)
AFC Player of the Year: Caitlin Foord (AUS)
AFC Youth Player of the Year: Fuka Nagano (JPN)
The AFC Referees Special Award: Kate Jacewicz (AUS), Renae Coghill (AUS), Uvena Fernandes (IND)
Photo: AFC
