Archive
A Newcastle Double At North-East FWA Awards
Written by Newcastle Utd
Daryl Janmaat and Ayoze Perez were the big winners at this year's North-East Football Writers' Player of the Year awards
By Dan King - Newcastle United Digital Editor
Newcastle United pair Daryl Janmaat and Ayoze Perez were the big winners at the annual North-East Football Writers' Association awards on Sunday evening.
Perez, 22, won the young player of the year prize while Janmaat joined a list including Kevin Keegan, Alan Shearer, Peter Beardsley, Les Ferdinand and Chris Waddle by taking home the coveted player of the year award.
Players, officials, fans and journalists gathered at Ramside Hall Hotel in Durham for the black tie dinner.
Holland international right-back Janmaat has proven to be an inspired signing since arriving from Feyenoord in the summer of 2014 and was delighted to win the award, voted for by the North-East press pack.
He pipped Middlesbrough's George Friend and Grant Leadbitter in the polling and told nufc.co.uk: "It's a big thing for me. I always work hard and when you get something like this back, it's really nice.
"It's great for me and a lot of great names have won this award, like Shearer and Beardsley, some of the biggest names to have played for the Club.
"So I'm really proud of it."
Perez was earmarked as 'one for the future' when he joined United from CD Tenerife in June 2014, but hit seven goals last term and has already grabbed three this season.
He told nufc.co.uk: "I'm really proud. Last season was my first year here so to win this award is a big pleasure for me.
"I'm really happy to have won the award."