Winner Collins: I gave my all for Sunderland
Danny Collins last night returned to the North East to pick up the North East Football Writers' Player of the Year award.
The versatile defender – Sunderland's Player of the Season for the past two campaigns – was the choice of the region's sports writers after a campaign of consistent and largely unsung effort which concluded with the Black Cats as the only North East club remaining in the Premier League.
Middlesbrough winger and Sunderland target Adam Johnson won the scribes' Young Player of the Year award.
Both players attended the celebratory dinner in their honour at the Ramside Hall near Durham last night and received their awards in front of guests including Alan Shearer, Chris Turner, Steve Harper and Collins' former team-mates Marton Fulop and Craig Gordon.
Jimmy Montgomery represented Sunderland Football Club with chairman Niall Quinn unavailable through flu.
Collins, who was transferred to Stoke City for a 4m fee in August, told the Echo: "The award means a great deal to me, as did my two Player of the Season awards.
"Anything awarded to you by people who watch you every week and rate you, has to mean a lot.
"Sports journalists are independent and objective, so for them to watch North East football over the course of the year and single me out is special.
"I loved my time at Sunderland and I did the very best I could in every game I played for the club and I don't think I let anyone down.
"Maybe that's what the award recognises."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sunderland
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -3 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: -2 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South
