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During the closing of the Lithuanian football season on Tuesday, the best Lithuanian footballer of 2006 was announced - the first time he was chosen as the national team's and "Livorno" club's striker.
In the 42nd edition of the elections, organized by Lithuanian football patriarch Stasys Paberžis since their inception in 1965, T. Danilevičius convincingly won - he collected 562 points, more than twice the 261 points collected by Moscow "Dynamo" goalkeeper Žydrūnas Karčemarskas and the 175 points received by last year's winner Moscow "CSKA" defender Deividas Šemberas.
Not far behind the latter was "Brescia" defender Marius Stankevičius, fifth place went to Edinburgh "Hearts" defender Deividas Česnauskis, the sixth place was taken by former "Kaunas" and "Hearts" striker Andrius Velička, and also in the top ten were "Saturn" defender Edgaras Česnauskis, "Hearts" defender Saulius Mikoliūnas, multiple-time election winner and "Hearts" striker Edgaras Jankauskas, and Tomsk "Tom" defender Andrius Skerla. In total, 19 players were mentioned in the elections.
For T. Danilevičius, 28, who has briefly represented London's "Arsenal" in his career, 2006 was the most successful year in his career - while on loan to the "Avellino" club, the Lithuanian scored 19 goals in the Italian Serie B championship, later returning to "Livorno" he scored the historic first goal for the club in the UEFA Cup, and has already scored twice in Serie A.
But perhaps the most memorable for Lithuanian football fans was his performance in the national team, where T. Danilevičius was chosen as captain this year and scored 5 goals. One of them he scored in friendly matches against Albania and Moldova, two he scored in a recent match in Malta, and perhaps the most important goal of his career he scored in the memorable 2008 European Championship qualifying match, when he shone against world champion Italy and with a great performance helped the Lithuanians to secure a 1-1 draw away.
T. Danilevičius, after Saulius Mikalajūnas who won in 1999, also became only the second winner of the award who had not played for Vilnius' "Žalgiris" club. The player recognized as the best Lithuanian footballer the most times - a total of five - was E. Jankauskas, while former legendary players of the capital's team Valdas Ivanauskas and Arminas Narbekovas won the title four times each.
Results of the election for the best Lithuanian footballer of 2006 (Place, player (position - club), 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place, points)
1. Tomas Danilevičius (striker - "Livorno", Italy) - 154 39 22 562 2. Žydrūnas Karčemarskas (goalkeeper - Moscow "Dynamo", Russia) - 24 67 55 261 3. Deividas Šemberas (defender/midfielder - Moscow "CSKA", Russia) - 25 33 34 175 4. Marius Stankevičius (defender/midfielder - "Brescia", Italy) - 18 40 37 171 5. Deividas Česnauskis (defender - Edinburgh "Hearts", Scotland) - 4 18 34 82 6. Andrius Velička (striker - "Kaunas"/Edinburgh "Hearts") - 8 15 17 71 7. Edgaras Česnauskis (defender - Ramenskoye "Saturn", Russia) - 2 8 11 33 8. Saulius Mikoliūnas (defender - Edinburgh "Hearts") - 2 6 7 25 9. Edgaras Jankauskas (striker - Edinburgh "Hearts") - 3 5 2 21 10. Andrius Skerla (defender - Tomsk "Tom", Russia) - 0 6 3 15 11. Robertas Poškus (striker - St. Petersburg "Zenit"/Moscow "Dynamo") - 1 2 6 13 12. Mindaugas Kalonas (defender - Liepaja "Metalurgs", Latvia) - 0 2 4 8 13. Mantas Savėnas (defender - Panevezys "Ekranas") - 1 0 2 5 14. Darius Miceika (defender - Liepaja "Metalurgs") - 0 1 2 4 15. Dainius Gleveckas (defender - Mariupol "Illichivets", Ukraine) - 0 0 2 2
Other mentioned players: Vidas Alunderis (defender - Lublin "Zaglebie", Poland) Tadas Labukas (striker - Vilnius "Žalgiris"), Rolandas Džiaukštas (defender - Ramenskoye "Saturn") and Andrius Veikutis (defender - Simferopol "Tavria", Ukraine).
