Beating Richarlison to Puskas Award won't 'change who I am', insists Polish history-maker Marcin Oleksy

Marcin Oleksy made history as he beat off competition from Dimitri Payet and Richarlison to land the 2022 FIFA Puskas Award for his sublime overhead finish – but the Polish ace insists he has not changed as a person. Warta Pozna’s Oleksy became the first-ever amputee footballer to win the award as he joins the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the Puskas Award roll of honour. Ad The 35-year-old, who combines football with a full-time job as an excavator operator, displayed incredible athleticism and technique to pull off the goal against Stal Rzeszow last November.

Copa del Rey'Xavi needs to find an ace up his sleeve!' – Preview of upcoming Copa del Rey ClasicoAN HOUR AGO Richarlison, who scored an acrobatic World Cup volley for Brazil against Serbia, sent a congratulatory message to Oleksy. “I am still the same Marcin," said Oleksey on Eurosport's second season of The Power of Sport which will air this spring with the return of the series on April 5. «I don’t think anything has changed.

There are more phone calls and there is media interest but I haven’t changed. I watch the goal online with fans but it won’t change who I am.” “I love scoring goals like this. You can see that when I train, it’s very much part of my game,» continued Oleksy, who suffered a life-changing accident in 2010.

“I often try to head the ball or execute a diving header. I think it was meant to be. I have dreamt about scoring a goal like this.

“When I started playing football, I told myself I was going to score a spectacular goal. You can see how pleased I was. I was proud of what I had done.