Sunderland old boy wins North East best player award
Danny Collins has won the North East Football Writers Association footballer of the year award for 2008/09.
The 29-year-old joins North East legends such as Niall Quinn, Kevin Phillips, Alan Shearer and Shay Given on the roll call of winners of the major regional honour.
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But he will have to travel up from new club Stoke City to receive his award after being surprisingly sold in the summer transfer window as part of Steve Bruce's rebuilding programme at the Stadium of Light.
Collins was the overwhelming choice for the award, beating off competition from runner-up Sebastien Bassong, who has joined Spurs, and third-placed former Middlesbrough favourite Tuncay, who is now with Collins at Stoke.
With Newcastle and Middlesbrough both relegated last season and the region's lower-league clubs Hartlepool, Darlington and Carlisle having indifferent seasons, Collins looked an obvious choice for the honour.
The Wales international was signed from Chester City by Mick McCarthy for just 140,000 in 2004 and went on to make more than 150 appearances for the Wearsiders.
For the past two seasons, he has been voted Player of the Year by Sunderland fans on the back of consistent and whole-hearted performances at centre-half or left-back.
His sale to Stoke in August is perhaps the only controversial note of Bruce's managerial reign so far, with many fans feeling the services of the utility player should have been retained.
But Bruce felt the offer of 2.75million for Collins, rising to a potential 4m, was too good to miss during a close season in which he had brought in Paulo Da Silva and John Mensah.
Crucially he had hoped to buy Wigan's Maynor Figueroa as a replacement for Collins, but the deal fell through as the window closed and left-back has remained an issue for Sunderland since his departure.
Meanwhile, the progress of Middlesbrough winger, and Sunderland target, Adam Johnson has been recognised by the region's football writers, with the England Under-21 cap picking up the young player of the year award.
Collins and Johnson will be presented with their awards at a dinner in Durham later this month when the region's football scribes will also recognise the contribution of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.
Alan Shearer will accept the presentation of the coveted John Fotheringham Award to the foundation on Sunday, November 29 at the Ramside Hall Hotel.
Comedian Kevin Connelly will be guest speaker at the dinner which costs 45 per head and attracts football stars past and present.
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Tuesday 07 February 2012
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