Middlesbrough’s George Grant has been honoured with the Sports Person Award in the 2023 Black History Youth Awards for his fantastic work on and off the field.
The award was presented by Taste of Africa, a north-east charity that highlights and celebrates the works of African people within the region.
George, who is a central defender for Boro’s U18s, joined the club’s Academy during the 2021/22 campaign after spending the rest of his youth football career at grassroots level. He’s now an important part of the U18s at Middlesbrough and has also represented Jamacia’s U22s on two occasions so far.
After winning the award, George said: “It was a surprise to win but it means a lot. This shows how far I’ve come both as an athlete and a person. I really appreciate the recognition.
“It also shows how far we’ve come as a people, not just with my award but the other awards too. We’ve all overcome our struggles and I think that’s important to recognise with other people of colour.”
Middlesbrough’s Head of Education Barry Dawson added: “George has come into the group and immediately hit the ground running with some standout performances for the U18s. His determination to do well on the pitch has been equally matched by his level of effort and application in the classroom.
“The whole academy staff group have been really pleased with George and they are delighted he has won this award.”