Senior and Young men’s and women’s awards to be presented at NEFWA annual dinner on March 2
By Colin Young, NEFWA Chairman
Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak has been voted the North East Football Writers’ Association men’s Player of the Year and Mollie Lambert of Durham has won the women’s equivalent award for 2024.
Sunderland pair Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham are joint winners of the men’s Young Player of the Year award, while Newcastle United midfielder Elysia Boddy is the women’s Young Player of the Year.
The awards will be presented at the North East FWA annual dinner at the Ramside Hall Hotel on Sunday March 2. The gala dinner will also feature the presentation of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation/NEFWA personality of the year award which has been won in the past by the likes of Alan Shearer, Chris Kamara, Jill Scott and current holder Gary Bennett.
Funds will be raised for Sir Bobby’s foundation on the night when the Bob Cass and John Fotheringham awards will also be presented for ‘outstanding services to North East football’ to two unsuspecting recipients.
Sweden international Isak is the 45th winner the senior men’s awards and the unanimous choice of the region’s football writers, ahead of Newcastle team-mate Anthony Gordon in second and Middlesbrough’s Emmanuel Latte Lath in third.
He succeeds team-mate Kieran Trippier and is the fourth Newcastle player in a row to win the award since Middlesbrough captain Jonny Howson picked it up in 2020.
Isak has been prolific for Eddie Howe since becoming Newcastle’s club record £60 million signing from Real Sociedad in summer 2022, scoring 44 Premier League goals so far including 28 goals in the calendar year.
He was named the Premier League’s player of the month for December and won the Guinness goal of the month for his strike against Liverpool.
Isak started his career at local club AIK and became their youngest goalscorer at the age of 16, moving to Borussia Dortmund in 2017 before joining Willem II on loan and scoring 13 goals in 16 games.
He spent three years with Real Sociedad from 2019, scoring nearly 50 goals, impressed at Euro 2020, and moved to St James’ Park later that year.
Lambert narrowly beat Newcastle’s Claudia Moan and Toon captain Amber Keegan-Stobbs to claim the award won in the last three years by her Durham team-mate and Northern Ireland international Sarah Robson.
Hartlepool-born Lambert, 26, has played for all three Women’s Championship teams in the North East, starting her career at Newcastle, before moving to Sunderland when they were part of the Women’s Super League, and then joining Durham in 2020 following Sunderland’s demotion.
Lambert has now made more than 100 appearances for Maiden Castle-based Durham who have been consistent performers in the second tier of the women’s game and her own consistency in the midfield role has not gone unnoticed throughout the year.
Rigg and Bellingham edged the men’s Young Player award ahead of Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall in one of the closest votes in the award’s 17-year history, which has previously recognised the emerging talents of Jordan Pickford, Marcus Tavernier, Dan Neil and Andy Carroll.
Sunderland academy graduate Rigg, 17, made his debut two years ago when he c ame on as a sub in an FA Cup tie at Shrewsbury and in the last year the England Under-18 international has become a near-ever present in Regis Le Bris’ side.
Rigg, who was born in Hebburn, has represented England at all youth levels and captained his country in the Under-17 European Championships in Cyprus last year until England were knocked out by Italy in the quarter-finals.
Bellingham, 19, joined Sunderland in summer 2023 from his home town club Birmingham City after making his first team debut at St Andrews at the age of 16 and he signed a contract extension at the Stadium of Light in August 2024.
The midfielder has made 91 EFL Championship appearances for Sunderland to date under four different managers and has looked at home on Wearside since his move from the Midlands.
After receiving the news, Jobe said: “I’m proud to have won this award alongside Riggy, who had an incredible year. It’s a testament to the belief the club has shown in us and the support we receive from our team-mates and the staff. Sharing this recognition with Riggy highlights the club’s ambition and our focus is now on the final 20 games of the season.”
Rigg added: “The award is even more special because Jobe is unbelievable. It’s amazing to share this award with him and to be recognised for our performances. 2024 was a massive year for me and it is hard to put it into words. I owe so much to the players and staff who have supported me throughout my time at the club. After coming back on Saturday, I can’t wait to play my part in the final run-in.”
Twenty-year-old Newcastle United midfielder Elysia Boddy played a major part in Becky Langley’s side’s promotion to the Women’s Championship last season when she also earned her first England Under-23 cap.
Teesside-born Boddy started playing boys’ football with Marton at the age of four before moving into the girls’ game with Teesside Girls RTC (Regional Talent Club) and then Middlesbrough Women at the age of 16.
She moved to Leicester Women, where she made her Women’s Super League debut just a few weeks after her 18th birthday before joined Bristol City Women and then moving to Newcastle in summer 2023, helping the club to promotion to the championship last season.
Boddy becomes the second winner of the women’s young player award, following Sunderland’s Katy Watson who was the inaugural winner last year.
The awards dinner will also honour promoted non-league teams Hebburn Town and Stockton Town and FA Trophy winners Gateshead.
Tickets for the North East Football Writers’ Association annual dinner at the Ramside Hall Hotel and Spa in Durham are available from [email protected]
