Skrtel wins top Slovak award

Martin Skrtel picked up his second piece of silverware in two days today as the Liverpool central defender was named Slovakian player of the year. The 27-year-old - who wins the award for the third time after winning in 2007 and 2008 - beat Napoli attacking midfielder Marek Hamsik and another Italy-based midfielder Juraj Kucka of Genoa in the vote. Skrtel, who scored in Liverpool's League Cup victory over Cardiff on Sunday, ending a six-year trophy drought for the English giants, has been at Liverpool since 2008 after four seasons with Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg, with whom he won the 2008 UEFA Cup.