Madrid, May 20:

Daily Spanish sports newspaper Marca on Monday awarded Real Madrid captain Raul Gonzalez, the club’s top scorer this season with 18 goals, its Di Stefano prize for best player of the 2007-09 season.

The prize is named after Real Madrid’s iconic former striker Alfredo di Stefano who announced the winner of the trophy at a ceremony in Madrid.

Raul’s 18 goals helped Real Madrid clinch their second straight league title and is the 31-year-old’s best league tally in seven years. Spain coach Luis Aragones on Saturday left Raul out of his 23-man squad for Euro 2008 as had been widely expected.

Raul is the country’s leading scorer with 44 goals in 102 international matches but he has not played for Spain since a 3-2 qualifying loss at Northern Ireland in September 2006.