The VVV-Venlo player missed a game last season as he was donating stem cells to help a Leukaemia patient.

When one of your side’s key player misses a weeks’ worth of training, and a match against one of the league’s top sides, fans may feel frustrated at the misfortune. However, supporters of VVV-Venlo in the Dutch Eredivisie were universal in not just accepting, but praising the absence of forward Lennart Thy for their side’s game against PSV Eindhoven back in March. The reason? Thy’s withdrawal from training and the matchday squad could have had life-saving implications.

While playing for Werder Bremen in the German Bundesliga seven years prior, the German forward donated his DNA as part of a way of potentially helping a leukaemia patient in the future. Fast-forward to 2018, and with Thy now playing for VVV-Venlo, the forward’s DNA was shown to be a match for someone battling leukaemia – and the player decided to donate blood to make a stem cell transplant possible.

Thy’s remarkable selflessness was rewarded with the man of the match award by PSV Eindhoven – despite his absence – and his act also helped raise awareness, with the mascots for that particular game walking out onto the field wearing t-shirts emblazoned with the message: “Follow Lennart, become a stem cell donor.”

The forward’s humbling altruism has seen him honoured with the 2018 FIFA Fair Play Award.

FIFA Fair Play Award winners since 2006

2006  Fans of the 2006 World Cup (Germany)

Fans' fair play, mutual respect, and special atmosphere created inside and outside the stadiums.

2007  FC Barcelona (Spain) 

Rejecting lucrative shirt sponsorship deals and instead carrying the UNICEF logo.

2008  The Turkish Football Federation & The Football Federation of Armenia

Encouraging dialogue between two countries which otherwise do not have any form of diplomatic relationship.

2009 Bobby Robson (England)

Posthumously awarded for commitment to fair play shown throughout his career as a player and coach.

2010 Haiti women's national under-17 football team 

Enduring hardships in wake of 2010 Haiti earthquake.

2011 Japan Football Association 

Enduring hardships in wake of 2011 Japan earthquake, while winning the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.

2012 Uzbekistan Football Federation

Showing that fair play and competition are not mutually exclusive but complement each other.

2013 Afghanistan Football Federation

Solidarity in football against all odds through the after-effects of war, disorder and conflict.

2014 World Cup volunteers (Brazil Canada Costa Rica Morocco) 

Their work, tireless support, enthusiasm, and passion for the game as demonstrated at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, 2014 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, and 2014 FIFA Club World Cup.

2015 All football organisations supporting refugees

Working to support refugees in the face of conflict. Accepted on their behalf by Gerald Asamoah, who campaigns for the welfare of refugees.

2016 Colombia Atlético Nacional 

Requested CONMEBOL to award Chapecoense with the 2016 Copa Sudamericana title after the LaMia Flight 2933 crash.

2017 Togo Francis Koné 

Saved the life of an opponent by administering on-pitch first aid after a collision.