Fabian Schar has been named the club’s Player of the Year for 2019 by the North East Football Writers Association, while Sean Longstaff was voted the region’s Young Player of the Year.
The awards will be officially presented to the players on Sunday February 2nd at Ramside Hall, however it has emerged today that it’ll be a clean sweep for Newcastle United at next month’s event.
Swiss centre-back Schar becomes the fourth Newcastle player in a row to win the annual award, with Martin Dubravka being 2018’s winner, while Jamaal Lascelles and Matt Ritchie shared the award in 2017.
He’s a deserved winner for his classy displays at the back and crucial goals, while Sean Longstaff’s rise from U-23 talent to first team regular makes him a worthy ‘Young Player of the Year’.
Here’s what he’s had to say to NUFC.co.uk since landing the award:
“Obviously 2019 was a good year for me – I got the chance to play for my boyhood club and to score my first goals which I will never forget,”
“It was disrupted a little bit with the injury I got in March but hopefully there’s a lot to build on and it’s always nice to receive awards, so I’m grateful to everyone who voted for me.
“I’m not really one to look back – I prefer to look forward and the aim is to push on in 2020 – but I’m proud to have won the award and hopefully I can do even better over the next 12 months.”
The midfielder takes the award from former Sunderland striker Josh Maja, who landed the young player prize in 2018.
Elsewhere, Kathryn Hill has been named women’s player of the year for 2019 following an oustanding year with Durham Women FC.
Next month’s awards night will also feature the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation personality of the year award – previously won by the likes of Alan Shearer and Jermaine Defoe – with this year’s recipient set to be revealed in the coming days.
A well deserved reward for Fabian Schar and Sean Longstaff. Let’s hope both can continue to go from strength to strength at the club and regain their best form in 2020.
