"Grin even wider"

Tobias Lawal is LOTTERIEN Young Star of the Year

Tobias Lawal is LOTTERIEN Young Star of the Year(Bild: LASK)

ÖFB goalkeeper Tobias Lawal (23) was voted LOTTERIEN Young Star of the Year.

What a career: In July 2021, Tobias Lawal spent 11 1/2 hours under the knife of top Linz surgeon Rainer Hochgatterer to correct his leg axis. Almost three years later, the LASK goalkeeper is not only in the senior national team at 23, but is also Young Star of the Year 2023 ...

Tobias Lawal(Bild: GEPA pictures)

"This trophy makes my grin even bigger," smiled the 1.95m tall man as he looked at the trophy. A smile that Lawal himself always had "on" when he spent months sweating for his comeback after the operation, without which he would have faced an early end to his career due to cartilage wear and tear.

LOTTERIEN young star of the year

1. LAWAL Tobias (LASK) 6,667 votes
2. SEIDL Matthias (Rapid) 5,033
3. POLSTER Manuel (Austria) 2,232
4. BAIDOO Sammy (RB Salzburg) 1,076
5. SEIDL Simon (BW Linz) 821
6. WLODARCZYK Szymon (Sturm) 630
7. KOMPOSCH Paul (Hartberg) 533
8. KOLLER Paul (Altach) 349
9. WIMMER Patrick (Wolfsburg) 325
10. ÜSTÜNDAG Cem (WSG Tirol) 296

No. 1 after Schlager's departure
Conversely, he never "sweated" when he became LASK's No. 1 last summer following the departure of Alex Schlager to Salzburg. Lawal, whose middle name is Okiki - which means "fame" in the Yoruba language of his Nigerian grandmother - took the new role in his stride with a smile, didn't appear nervous even against opponents such as Liverpool and also impressed in the Europa League with performances that prompted Ralf Rangnick to bring Lawal into the senior team. And the "Krone" soccer family to name him a young star.