Liverpool star makes EMOTIONAL appearance alongside wife at Ballon d'Or ceremony | OneFootball

One Liverpool player was clearly overjoyed to be in Paris for the Ballon d’Or ceremony, sharing the experience with his wife.

Summer signing for the Reds, Giorgi Mamardashvili, was spotted in Paris ahead of France Football’s Ballon d’Or ceremony. Nominated for the Lev Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper, Mamardashvili could scarcely hide his excitement, seen grinning from ear-to-ear.

He was spotted alongside his wife Elene Epitashvili, whom he married this past July shortly after his heroics at the Euros for Georgia, and just one month prior to agreeing terms to join Liverpool for next summer.

It’s a huge honour for Mamardashvili to be nominated for the Yashin Trophy, as despite the short-lived lifespan of the award it has been won by those who have won either the Champions League or an international competition.

For Mamardashvili to receive a nomination despite Georgia’s Round of 16 Euros exit as well as Valencia’s position of 9th in La Liga last season is nothing short of astonishing, and reflects well on his ability and blossoming reputation as one of Europe’s finest in his position.

Mamardashvili will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of his soon-to-be teammate Alisson, who won the inaugural Yashin Award back in 2019. He will face stiff competition from the other nine nominees, including the award’s holder, Emiliano Martinez, as well as Euros winner Unai Simon and Real Madrid back-up Andriy Lunin, all predicted to do well.

So far in La Liga this season Mamardashvili has been the last line of defence in a Valencia side suffering through a dreadful start, finding themselves rooted to the foot of the table. Only able to keep three clean sheets in the first eleven games, he has nonetheless performed admirably in the face of adversity.