Phil Smith: My Sunderland player of the year awards and the goal that I enjoyed the most

Sunderland will mark the end of the regular Championship season with their club awards night on Sunday.

Here, Phil Smith picks out his star performers from the campaign...

MEN'S PLAYER OF THE YEAR

While there have been a number excellent performers across a strong season for the team, many have at one stage or other gone through either injury or a slight dip in form. As such, it's hard to look past Trai Hume who has been a pillar of consistency pretty much from day one. In the second half of the season in particular he's taken another step, combining his excellent 1-v-1 defending with a real attacking threat.

That he has for a good period of time played through a minor hip injury speaks to his resilience, commitment and durability. Hume has also emerged as a real leader within the group and underlined his status as one of the club's best signings in the last decade.

Honourable mentions to Chris Mepham and Luke O'Nien, who like Hume have shown quality, consistency and resilience throughout the campaign.

MEN'S YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Jobe Bellingham was deservedly named the Championship young player of the year last Sunday and it's hard to look past him from a Sunderland perspective. Bellingham has been remarkably consistent for a player of his age and a leader within the dressing room. While a move to a deeper role has meant less of a goal threat this season, his drive and physicality has been vital to Sunderland's game. He can open up the opposition in transition whether it be through a skilful turn, a driving run or a quick pass out wide, and can also recover quickly to protect the defence when required.

Chris Rigg has had a sensational first season in professional football, but like Bellingham a season previous had to manage the inevitable onset of fatigue around the turn of the year.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

Eliezer Mayenda had a difficult first season on Wearside and few would have predicted that he would emerge as the club's starting striker after a loan spell at Hibernian yielded few appearances and no goals. With Sunderland's striker recruitment still ongoing throughout pre-season, Mayenda took his chance and impressed Le Bris with his application and tactical acumen. What was even more impressive was the way he first responded to the arrival of Wilson Isidor and his excellent form, and then secondly to a difficult festive period in which he missed a couple of high-profile chances. Mayenda's relentless work rate on and off the pitch has started to yield consistent rewards to the point where he'll go into the play-offs as one of the most reliable attacking threats in the squad. As Luke O'Nien said recently, he is an example to any player who signs for Sunderland.

GOAL OF THE SEASON

In terms of individual efforts, it's hard to look past Eliezer Mayenda's stunning effort at Bristol City with honourable mentions to Wilson Isidor at Hull City and Romaine Mundle's strike at home to Preston North End. The sheer improbability of Mayenda's effort given the lack of support around him and the number of Bristol City players between himself and the goal mean he surely comes out on top, however.

It was a special strike though in terms of goals I enjoyed most this season, I'd put another one forward. It might not be the most special goal in isolation, a neat bit of play on the right of the box before a cutback and a clever finish from close range, but Jobe Bellingham's effort to complete a three-goal comeback at Swansea City was an incredible moment. Sunderland had shot to the top at the start of the season by taking leads and defending them, but this showed another side to their game and the growing belief in their dressing room. It was a moment that made you think promotion might well be possible - and of course it still is despite the recent dip in form.

WOMEN'S PLAYER OF THE YEAR

It's almost impossible not to go for Eleanor Dale. A woeful start to the season raised early fears of relegation for the Black Cats and that they then managed to fire their way into title contention owed much to a superb run of form from Dale. It was no coincidence that the team's dip in form that saw them fall away from the top coincided with an injury to Dale. Mel Reay has a knack of making inspired signings and Dale has been one of her very best, a player absolutely essential to the club's hopes of kicking on next time around.

An honourable mention has to go to Katie Kitching, who has again been a pillar of consistency in the Sunderland midfield. Kitching's energy and quality in the final third continues to impress and over the last two seasons she has surely been one of the very best players in the north east game.

WOMEN'S YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR

It has been a rollercoaster of a season for Sunderland women but one of the campaign's big positives has been the development of Libbi McInnes. The young midfielder has always been renowned for her technical ability and in this campaign she has been able to add consistency to force her way into the starting XI on a regular basis. McInnes is a joy to watch in possession and is now starting to turn that ability into defining contributions in the final third.

A honourable mention to Jessie Stapleton, the West Ham loanee who has had a very strong campaign and who was a particularly key player in the first half of the season while Brianna Westrup recovered from injury.

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