Soccer: Di Canio wins Fifa Fair Play Award

West Ham's Paolo di Canio has won Fifa's Fair Play Award for 2001.

The striker has been given the award for 'a special act of good sportsmanship' in the Hammers' clash against Everton last season.

Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard was lying injured in the penalty area when di Canio received a cross from Trevor Sinclair.

Faced with an empty net, di Canio chose to catch the ball rather than score. A goal then would probably have given West Ham a 2-1 win.

It was an unprecedented act of good sportsmanship by di Canio.

The Italian's career has been blighted by controversy and in late 1998 he was banned for eight games after pushing referee Paul Alcock to the ground following a red card while playing for Sheffield Wednesday.

However, in January 1999 he joined West Ham for £1.7m and since then his career has undergone something of a renaissance.