Young Lions clean up at 2014 Football League Awards

Monday 17 Mar 2014
Danny Ings has scored 25 goals for Burnley this season
England Under-21s and Burnley striker Danny Ings’s remarkable rise to prominence was last night recognised at the 2014 Football League Awards.

The 21-year-old was rewarded for his 25-goal haul so far this term by being named the Sky Bet Championship Player of the Year, while Young Lions team-mate Will Hughes won the Football League Young Player award.

“It's crazy. I've not had much luck in the last couple of years but I've managed to turn that around”

Danny Ings 

 

England development players also made a clean sweep of the LFE Apprentice of the Year categories, with Derby and England U19s forward Mason Bennett rated the best in the Championship. 

Brendan Galloway, a centre-back for MK Dons and England U18s, won the Apprentice of the Year award for League One, while Hartlepool midfielder and England U18s squad member Bradley Walker won the League Two equivalent.

But the night’s big draw was Ings, who was able to reflect on an astonishing turnaround with Sean Dyche’s Burnley. 

Last season Ings scored three times as the Turf Moor club finished in mid-table, but this time around has been a different story, with Burnley second in the Championship, and looking shoo-ins for promotion to the Premier League.

In October Ings made his debut for Gareth Southgate’s England Under-21s against San Marino, and has gone on to play twice more, scoring two goals.

Will Hughes in action for England Under-21s against San Marino.

Will Hughes has been in fine form for both Derby County and England Under-21s

Ings said at the event at The Brewery, London: "It's crazy. I've not had much luck in the last couple of years with injuries but I've managed to turn that around this year to get myself fit and everything is going well so far.

"Sam Vokes, my strike partner, has chipped in with a lot of goals too for a target man and our defence is one of the best defences in the league, our midfield too, the whole team has been fantastic.

“I could talk about them all night! We have such a good team ethic and we work hard for each other which is why we have been successful.

"Sean [Dyche] is a great manager. He is firm but fair and as long as you buy in to what he buys in to then you're definitely going to get along. That comes down to hard work and all of our players are hard-working. Mix that with talent and you've got a powerful force." 

England U19s striker Mason Bennett in action against Switzerland.

England Under-19s and Derby forward Mason Bennett in action against Switzerland

 


By James Callow Content manager