By Chris Wright
The Football League got round to doling out their yearly awards at a gala evening in London last night, celebrating excellence both on and off pitch over the past 12 months.
Yes, the timing is just about as weird as it could be.
Anyway, Middlesbrough striker Patrick Bamford, 21, scooped the Championship Player of the Year award after helping himself to 19 league goals so far this season (as well as a decent glut on-loan at Derby last season), with Tottenham-bound MK Dons prodigy Dele Alli, 19, collecting the Football League Young Player of the Year award.
Not content with winning the League One Player of the Year award, Preston striker Joe Garner also took the honours for Goal of the Year with his audacious effort against Rotherham last May…
Elsewhere there were awards for Derby County (Community Club of the Year) and Millwall’s Danny Shittu (PFA Player in the Community) while Kevin Phillips picked up the Sir Tom Finney Award – as presented to a recently retired player with an outstanding career in the Football League.
The Football League bods also cobbled together their ‘Team of the Decade’, recognising 11 outstanding players (and one outstanding manager) who have excelled in the lower 72 over the last decade…
The ‘Team of the Decade’ looks a little something like this:
Kasper Schmeichel
Angel Rangel Wes Morgan Ashley Williams Gareth Bale
Wes Hoolahan Adam Lallana Peter Whittingham
Glenn Murray Rickie Lambert Jordan Rhodes
Manager: Eddie Howe
Tough to argue there. Wee Wes Hoolahan looks positively overcome with joy at making the cut.
Obviously, Gareth Bale couldn’t be there in person to collect his award but he did send in a video message gushing at how the Football League was “integral in his development.”
How nice.