The winners of the Manager and Player of the Month awards for December 2016 have been announced by the English Football League.
Brighton boss Chris Hughton was named Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month after collecting 13 points from a possible 15 for the Seagulls.
The Seagulls continued the drive towards automatic promotion with an incredible month but Hughton admitted that the award should credit his squad and not just himself:
“As a manager it’s always wonderful. In effect, I’m only picking it up on behalf of my staff, but more so for the players.
“They’ve been outstanding for me and it’s always a nice feeling when the club gets recognised for a way of playing.
“I’m picking it up on behalf of them.”
Barnsley’s Sam Winnall, meanwhile, won the Player of the Month award after netting six times in six games.
The Tykes’ striker has scored almost every type of goal you can think of – looping headers, close range finishes and individual displays.
However, despite his incredible performances throughout December, the front-man admitted the award plays testament to how the Club is improving.
“It’s a great honour and it’s always pleasing to have a personal accolade like this. But it can’t be done without the staff and the other players – so it’s testament to how far we’ve come and how well we’re doing as a team this season.
“The fact that our players are getting these awards in recognition for performances, shows that we’re doing the right things here at Barnsley and everyone is riding the wave of success.
“It’s not just my goals; everything contributes to this award. All the players, all the coaching staff, all the physios and sports science staff – everyone is doing such a good job this season and it’s good to get that recognition and know that you’re playing your part in something that’s special and something that we’re very proud of.”
