Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang spoke of his pride at becoming only the second man to win the Prix Marc-Vivien Foé – the RFI/ France 24 award for the best performing African player in a Ligue 1 season.
Aubameyang, at 34 years and 11 months, is the oldest to claim the accolade created by RFI and France 24 to honour Marc-Vivien Foé who died on 26 June 2003 during an international match for Cameroon.
The midfielder's death was later ruled to be due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Aubameyang, who joined Marseille last July, said he was just as happy to receive the prize 11 years after his initial success while turning out for Saint-Etienne.
"Well it's always gratifying to win something," said the Gabon international. "It's a prize which means so many things for me."
Aubameyang left Saint-Etienne to play in the German Bundesliga at Borussia Dortmund.
During five seasons he scored 141 goals in 213 matches. A four-year spell at Arsenal followed where he eventually fell foul of Mikel Arteta's new vision for the club.
A stuttering year at Chelsea was marked by only three goals in 21 matches before his move to Marseille where he has flourished with 29 goals in 49 games after a difficult start to his return to Ligue 1.
Recalling his first award, Aubameyang said: "It came as a way of showing the progress I had been making at Saint-Etienne. I had been working really hard.
"This latest one is a reflection really of football. You go through some difficult times but if you have the desire, the ability to work hard as well as the mental toughness, you can always finish well.
"But it's not yet finished," he added. :I'm going to give everything right until the end."
