Julian de Guzman scored two goals in eight games for Canada in 2008. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)

Midfielder Julian de Guzman was named the Canadian men's soccer player of the year for 2008 on Friday.

De Guzman, a 27-year-old native of Scarborough, Ont., beat out fellow national team members Dwayne De Rosario, Ali Gerba, Atiba Hutchinson and Tomasz Radzinski to win the honour for the first time in his career.

The Canadian Soccer Association hands out the annual award, which is voted on by Canadian journalists and coaches.

"For me it's a great honour to get any type of award," de Guzman said in a conference call. "I've never brought myself up to get awards or anything like that as a professional in my career but it's always a bonus and something to cherish in the years to come."

This marks the first year the award, first handed out in 2005, has gone to a player other than Rosario.

"The last time (De Rosario) won it I asked him if he was willing to share that award with some of the other guys on the team because he's been hogging for the past three years," said de Guzman.

"We've joked about it many times and Dwayne's deserved it every time he's won it. He's had such a successful career."

A standout in the Spanish first division with Deportivo la Coruna, de Guzman scored two goals in seven games for the Canadian national team in 2008, including one in a World Cup qualifying game against Jamaica in August in Toronto.

His other goal came in a 3-2 loss to Brazil in an exhibition game on May 31.

"With the national team it was pretty disappointing with not being able to qualify for the World Cup," said de Guzman.

"This was a team that everyone said was supposed to be the team to make the World Cup. I even believed it myself and I guess the most important talking turns out to be on the pitch, and we weren't able to prove that."

De Guzman also helped Deportivo climb from 19th to 9th in the final 2007-08 Spanish league standings to qualify for the UEFA Cup. Through the first half of 2008-09 campaign, de Guzman has played a pivotal role in keeping his club in sixth place in La Liga, while also helping the team qualify for the round of 32 of the UEFA Cup.

De Guzman's contract set to expire, and he said that although he would like to stay in Spain, he is exploring other options.

"There's been some offers coming from Spain, Germany and England," he said.

Christine Sinclair of Burnaby, B.C., was announced the winner of the women's award for the fourth consecutive year on Thursday.