Tuesday 26 March 2013 15:42, UK
Hartlepool teenager Luke James has dedicated his League One Apprentice of the Year Award for 2013 to the club's fans.
Pools have had little to celebrate this season as they continue their fight to escape relegation, but James, 18, carried the flag at the weekend's annual Football League Awards gala at The Brewery in London. "When I went up on stage I could feel my phone vibrating in my pocket and it was my mam and dad trying to get in touch," he told the club's official website. "I rang them when I got back to the table and they were screaming down the phone and I'm glad I've been able to make them proud. "I had loads of messages from the players too to congratulate me, which is really nice and I had so many tweets from fans wishing me well, it was amazing - they've had a hard season so it's for them really. "I'd also like to thank John Hughes, Micky Barron and all of the coaching staff who have given me the chance to win this award. "I'd also like to thank John Hewitson, who has always supported me and came down to London to attend the awards with me." James made the first-team breakthrough at Victoria Park last season, making his debut shortly after his 17th birthday in December 2011, and has made 20 appearances this time around, mainly off the substitutes' bench, scoring two goals.
