Callum Wilson has officially been named Newcastle United’s Player of the Year for 2020/21.
Not only has he bagged 12 goals and 5 assists in his first season at St James’ Park, he becomes just the third Toon striker to win the award since the turn of the millennium, following on from Alan Shearer and our 2018/19 winner Salomon Rondon.
Sadly, the 29-year-old won’t play tonight or in our final game of the season at Fulham after suffering a recent hamstring setback, however he’s more than paid back his £20m price tag following his £20m move from Bournemouth last summer.
Not only is he a constant threat and ice-cool finisher, he’s led the line superbly all season, ran himself into the ground, brought others into play and given every centre-back he’s come up against a real physical battle.
Here’s the club’s official statement, via NUFC.co.uk:
Callum Wilson has been named as Newcastle United’s official Player of the Year for the 2020/21 campaign.
It has been a hugely impressive debut season on Tyneside for the former Bournemouth frontman, who has struck 12 times in 28 appearances all told.
Wilson missed two months of the campaign after hobbling out of United’s 3-2 win over Southampton in February, but his return to action in April coincided with the Magpies’ march away from danger in the Premier League.
He struck a brace in what was to prove his final appearance of the season, against Leicester at the King Power Stadium a week past Friday, and – remarkably – Steve Bruce’s side have never lost a game in which Wilson has found the net.
After Salomón Rondón in 2018/19, the 29-year-old becomes just the second striker to take home the gong since Alan Shearer in 2002/03.
We’re not sure about the trophy itself, which looks like something you’d get for winning your local 5-a-side league at GOALS, but there’s little doubt he deserves the award after a superb first season at the club.
Here’s the list of previous winners from 1975 to 2021:
1975/76 Alan Gowling
1976/77 Micky Burns
1977/78 Irving Nattrass
1978/79 Peter Withe
1979/80 Alan Shoulder
1980/81 Kevin Carr
1981/82 Mick Martin
1982/83 Kevin Keegan
1983/84 Kevin Keegan
1984/85 Peter Beardsley
1985/86 Peter Beardsley
1986/87 Paul Goddard
1987/88 Paul Gascoigne
1988/89 John Hendrie
1989/90 Mick Quinn
1990/91 John Burridge
1991/92 Gavin Peacock
1992/93 Lee Clark
1993/94 Andy Cole
1994/95 Barry Venison
1995/96 Darren Peacock
1996/97 Steve Watson
1997/98 David Batty
1998/99 Alan Shearer
1999/00 Alan Shearer
2000/01 Shay Given
2001/02 Nobby Solano
2002/03 Alan Shearer
2003/04 Olivier Bernard
2004/05 Shay Given
2005/06 Shay Given
2006/07 Nicky ****
2007/08 Habib Beye
2008/09 Sébastien Bassong
2009/10 José Enrique
2010/11 Fabricio Coloccini
2011/12 Tim Krul
2012/13 Davide Santon
2013/14 Mike Williamson
2014/15 Daryl Janmaat
2015/16 Rob Elliot
2016/17 Ciaran Clark
2017/18 Jamaal Lascelles
2018/19 Salomón Rondón
2019/20 Martin Dúbravka
2020/21 Callum Wilson
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