Lennart Thy wins FIFA Fair Play award

The then VVV-Venlo striker Lennart Thy missed an Eredivisie game against PSV Eindhoven so he could donate stem cells to try and help a leukaemia patient.

The 26-year-old German, who is on loan at the top-flight Dutch club from Werder Bremen, was a DNA match. 

Thy recieved overwhelming support from his club, fans and the global media - as his selfless act has raised awareness and saw an increase in cell donations in Holland. 

On receiving his award at the award ceremony in London, Thy humbly spoke about how proud he was that his actions had such a positive effect with the increase in donations. 

"It's a big honor for me to be here tonight and receive this award. When I got the chance to help someone who was suffering from blood cancer, it was a matter of course - there was no other choice for me than helping him", he said. 

"The best thing about the story is that thousands of new donators registered in the Netherlands - this really makes me proud."

Thy has since moved to Turkish club BB Erzurumspor.