Taking 47% of the votes, OM's keeper Steve Mandanda has been voted Player of the Year by the readers of OM.net. It has been a season where the keeper has won recognition from all quarters.

What a meteoric rise. Brought in as back up to Cédric Carrasso when he arrived through the back door at the pre-season training camp at Divonne-les-Bains last July, Mandanda is now the first name on the team sheet. Designated the League’s best goalkeeper by his fello footballers at the recent Unfp award ceremony, OM’s keeper was also chosen by the internet readers of OM.net as their Marseille player of the year. He picked up 47% of the 60.000 votes cast ahead of Niang (26%) and Nasri (7%).
Mandanda’s win is not surprising as you had already voted him player of the month in August, September, October, February and March. A vote of the people and a sign of great consistency.  
All that at the tender age of 23 and after his first season in the elite. His amazing season has been capped off by a call up to the training camp at Clairefontaine with the National team in preparation for the Euro 2008. We will find out on the 28th of May if he will be called up to the final squad by Raymond Domenech. In the meantime, and in concordance with his character which mixes a strong will and discretion, he has taken a look back at Marseille’s crazy season for OMmag. Always cool and calm. «I’m not really a person that get’s wound up by things. I have quite a calm personality. This craze surrounding me is quite pleasant, of course but I’ve always tried to keep my feet on the ground. In any case, the most important thing for me is to keep working and getting better. I’m only at the start of my career. I still have a lot to learn and discover.» Just how far will he go?

The OM Player of the Year podium as voted for by the internet readers
1 - Steve Mandanda (47%)
2 - Mamadou Niang (26%)
3 - Samir Nasri (7%)  

A VIDEO OF THE BEST PHOTOS OF STEVE MANDANDA