Ghana and Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan has won the 2010 BBC African Footballer of the Year.
Gyan becomes the third Ghanaian after Michael Essien and Samuel Osei Kuffour to have won the award.
"I'm so happy, I can't believe it," he said. "I'm so thankful to all the fans who voted for me."
He added: "It was really hard to win this award, especially because of all the other players I was up against.
"So I'm so appreciative to all my fans in Africa - especially my family and fans in Ghana."
In a live public vote, Gyan received more than half of the votes to beat national team colleague Andre Ayew, Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o, and Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast and claim the award.
Gyan had a memorable year internationally, leading Ghana to second place at the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, scoring three of the four goals that helped Ghana reach their first final in 18 years.
At the World Cup in South Africa, the 24-year-old grabbed the world's attention as his three goals helped the Black Stars progress from the group and into the quarter-finals.
Football supporters across the world cast their votes online and by text and the winner was decided live during the BBC World Service's African sports programme, Fast Track.
The BBC award takes into account the football calendar from January to December 2010 and includes domestic leagues, both the Uefa and Caf Champions League tournaments.
The African Nations Cup, the World Cup and the World Club Cup are also included within this period.
Previous winners of the BBC African Footballer of the Year award:
2009 - Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)
2008 - Mohamed Aboutrika (Egypt)
2007 - Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo)
2006 - Michael Essien (Ghana)
2005 - Mohamed Barakat (Egypt)
2004 - Jay-Jay Okocha (Nigeria)
2003 - Jay-Jay Okocha
2002 - El Hadji Diouf (Senegal)
2001 - Sammy Kuffuor (Ghana)
2000 - Patrick Mboma (Cameroon)