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Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE-born teenage defender Tivonge Rushesha continues to sizzle at English Championship side Swansea after he was named the Under-23 Player of the season. 

The defender, who turns 20 this coming July, was among the winners at the club’s 2021/2022 awards night on Tuesday. This is the second time that he has won the accolade in a space of three seasons. 

Rushesha was voted the Under-23 Player of the Year in 2020. But his progress suffered because of injuries in the last two years. 

Rushesha, however, refused to let the setbacks define his career after recovering from a career-threatening knock that kept him on the sidelines for long periods. 

He was named the Under-23 captain earlier this year. 

Captain Tivonge Rushesha picked up the under-23 Player of the Season award for his leadership and performances in a development side also adjusting to a new system and style of play. It is a challenge he has risen to with maturity and poise,” said the club in a statement. 

Rushesha recently returned to competitive football after enduring nine difficult months on the side lines because of a cruciate ligament injury. The defender suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during training in December 2020. 

The gifted young Zimbabwean made his senior debut for Swansea in the EFL Cup last season and is highly regarded at the Liberty Stadium. 

He was earlier this year offered a new contract by the club despite his long-term injury. 

He agreed to a one-year extension that will keep him with the club until at least the end of the 2022-23 campaign. 

Although Rushesha has played youth football with Wales’ national age-group teams, he has previously declared his desire to be part of the Warriors in the future. 

FIFA rules allow junior players to switch allegiance. 

The 19-year-old was born in Zimbabwe but moved to England at a young age. He came through Swansea’s Academy structures. 

The defender was tipped to have a breakthrough season but the injury has been a huge setback. 

Despite the injury, Swansea still offered him a professional contract at the beginning of the year, which will see him at the club until the end of 2022-2023 campaign. 

There have been calls from the club’s supporters for the youngster to be promoted to the first team squad. But reports from Wales suggest the manager Russell Martin may not have the space at the moment. Rushesha could still find himself on loan in the lower leagues in order to garner first team game time. 

“The 19-year-old right-back is captain of the under-23s. He made his debut for the first team aged just 17, coming on against Cambridge in an EFL Cup tie back in 2019. 

“Having been in and around the first team set-up for a few years now, Martin may decide it is time for Rushesha to go out and ply his trade in one of the lower leagues. With Cyrus Christie possibly joining full time in the summer, Rushesha may find his route to the starting XI blocked,” wrote Tom McAdle, of the Wales Online.