Tuesday 5 November 2013 10:35, UK
Preston captain John Welsh has been named the League One Player of the Year at the Northwest Football Awards.
The former Tranmere midfielder claimed the gong, which supporters helped decide, at a ceremony in Manchester on Monday night ahead of other short-listed finalists Jose Baxter, formerly of Oldham, and ex-Crewe midfielder Luke Murphy. Welsh said: "Just to be named in the top three would have been good enough for me. To win it was really unexpected, I'm really delighted and pleased to have won it, I'm just over the moon." The 29-year-old was a mainstay in the North End side last season under both Graham Westley and current boss Simon Grayson and, while the club did not achieve its ultimate goal of promotion after finishing a disappointing 14th, Welsh caught the eye with a series of consistent performances in the centre of midfield. He added: "It was quite a weird one; I think there were 20-odd players in my first season. There were a lot of players but we seemed to gel very quickly. "They're a great bunch of lads there and it was quite easy to get in, get settled and get playing. "With the squad we had we wanted to do better but it wasn't to be and we finished where we finished. For me personally to win the award, I'm delighted with it."
