Gera takes Hungarian honour

West Brom's Zolton Gera has been named Hungarian Player of the Year.

Gera took the Golden Ball ahead of Crystal Palace's Gabor Kiraly and his team-mate Sandor Torghelle.

It was the seventh time the award had been presented and Kiraly was looking for his fifth gong - after winning on the first four occasions, but it was not to be as Gera took the prize for the first time.

"I'm always very critical of myself so I'd say that I still have a lot to improve, but apart from this, I think that 2004 was a really successful year for me," said Gera.

"We won the Championship and the Hungarian Cup with Ferencvaros and it was a perfect ending for my Hungarian years."