Germany and FC Bayern Munich star Jérôme Boateng has been voted by the German sports journalists as the German Footballer of the Year 2016.

The 27 year old central defender received 163 votes to finish top ahead of his Bayern Munich teammates Thomas Müller (95 votes), Robert Lewandowski (90), Real Madrid star Toni Kroos (68) and “sweeper keeper” Manuel Neuer (54).

Boateng is the first defender since Jürgen Kohler in 1997 to be voted as Germany’s best footballer in the vote organised by German football magazine Kicker.

“I cannot describe what is going through my mind at the moment. I am naturally proud that I was able to achieve this,” said Jerome Boateng.

VfL Wolfsburg Women’s footballer Alexandra Popp was voted the best German Women’s Footballer of the Year 2016 with 109 votes to her name. Mandy Islacker (1.FFC Frankfurt, 63 votes), Melanie Behringer (FC Bayern Munich, 42), Melanie Leupolz (FC Bayern Munich, 40) and Lena Goeßling (VfL Wolfsburg, 37) complete the Top 5 in the Women’s category.

“This award is so special to me. Especially because of the fact it honours the performances throughout a whole season,” said Popp.

The German Coach of the Year 2016 award went to Dirk Schuster, who surprised everyone by being able to keep minnows SV Darmstadt 98 in the Bundesliga after having taken the club from the brink of the 4th Division to top tier football. Schuster received 256 votes which put him top of the voting ahead of Thomas Tuchel (Borussia Dortmund, 134 votes), Pep Guardiola (FC Bayern Munich, 54), Ralph Hasenhüttl (FC Ingolstadt, 35) and Martin Schmidt (FSV Mainz 05, 22).

(Photo courtesy: Screenshot SPOX.com YouTube-Video)