After three consecutive second places in the "Footballer of the Year" poll in Bulgaria, the midfielder of the English Leeds United Iliya Gruev Jr. is finally at the top, having collected 184 points. He overtook Ivaylo Chochev from Ludogorets, who remained second. Kiril Despodov, who was on the top step five times, is now third. Gruev finished second in 2022, 2023 and 2024, BTA reported.
Gruev is the son of the former Levski, Lokomotiv (Sofia), Neftohimik (Burgas) and German Duisburg midfielder of the same name and is also happy to see his son awarded.
„Who is happier? Me or my father? Good question, thank you“, Gruev said and laughed in the interview with the media after the ceremony at the “Hyatt Regency Sofia“ hotel. “My father is probably very proud that I am Footballer of the Year, but I am also very proud and happy. I haven't spoken to him yet. I know he watched the ceremony, but now that everything is over here, I will call him“.
„No, Leeds don't know. They didn't even know that today was the ceremony, but I myself didn't know whether I would be the first or not. So now Leeds will see the news. I'm just very happy that people appreciate what I'm doing in England in the Premier League and see it. People are voting and that makes me happy. I only know how difficult it is and what difficulties I've gone through to be here right now. I'm 25 now and I want to continue developing and becoming an even better footballer“.
Gruev will turn 26 on May 6th and so far his career has gone through two teams – Werder Bremen and the English Leeds, with whom he joined from the League Championship (second level) to the elite.
„I am proud to play in the Premier League, but I would say that I am also proud of how people, my family and my friends see what I do and are also proud of me, that I am a footballer at a high level. But also that they are proud of the person Iliya Gruev“.
For his goals for the year 2026, which began three months ago, he said that he hopes to go in the same direction: „Yes, I want to continue. I think that when a person wins such a nice trophy, he aspires to achieve even better things. If I continue like this at this level, probably even better things will await me“.
Asked why he will not travel with the national team on the tour to Indonesia, where the team leaves tomorrow, he replied: “These are my personal reasons and I hope you will respect my opinion that I will not comment on this topic anymore“.
Gruev and Germany-playing striker Lukas Petkov announced a few days ago in emails to the Bulgarian Football Union that they will miss this opportunity for the matches with the Solomon Islands and possibly with the hosts from Indonesia due to “personal reasons“.