Le Tissier earns Bilbao award

Posted Tuesday, April 28, 2015 by Foxsports.com

Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier will be honoured for his contribution to football by Spanish club Athletic Bilbao.

Le Tissier will become the first recipient of their "One Club Man Award", designed to honour those who have spent their entire career at one side (excluding Bilbao).

The award will be presented at half-time in Tuesday night's Sky Live La Liga match with David Moyes' Real Sociedad and Le Tissier is delighted to accept the accolade.

"It certainly was a big surprise and a very pleasant one too," he told Bilbao's official website.

"I am incredibly proud to be the first to receive this award."

Bilbao highlighted Le Tissier's standing among his peers and his unswerving loyalty to Saints as reasons for awarding him the inaugural One Club Man Award.

"What is entirely clear and obvious is that your reputation in the world of football is unmatched," they said of him.

"Many great players have expressed their admiration about you. Pele, for instance, was quoted saying that if you had been Brazilian you would always have been among the starting 11.

"Barcelona's midfielder Xavi recently said: "˜The man I absolutely loved watching as a kid was Matt Le Tissier after seeing the highlights of his extraordinary goals.

"'His talent was out of the norm. He could dribble past seven or eight players but without speed " he just almost walked past them. For me, he was sensational.

"'We had a programme on Spanish TV with the best goals from around Europe. He was always the star.'

"But for us, what we value most are your values and principles, your loyalty to the same club during your entire career.

"We see ourselves very much reflected in this value and in these principles.

"For this reason, it is a true honour for us to give you our first One-Club Man Award. This way you will always be part of our history."