Blackburn Rovers hit back at Preston award-winner despite...

Liam Lindsay of Preston North End was chosen as the 2024 Championship Player of the Season by the Northwest

Football Awards, surpassing Sammie Szmodics. Blackburn Rovers have responded to this selection.

The Northwest Football Awards conducted their annual prize-giving ceremony a few days after Rodri of Manchester

City made his first appearance back at the Etihad Stadium since winning the Ballon D’Or, the most coveted

individual football accolade.

For their efforts in 2024, clubs, athletes, and foundations from all over the top-right part of England were honoured.

Phil Foden of City, Kobbie Mainoo of Manchester United, Dave Challinor, the manager of Stockport County, Fraser

Horsfall, the centre defender, and Sam Tickle, the goalie for Wigan Athletic, were among the winners on Monday night.

The prizes for their respective categories were taken home by them. Although there wasn’t much debate surrounding

any of those selections, Lindsay’s selection as the 2024 Northwest’s top Championship football player was somewhat

of a renegade move, particularly if you were a Rovers supporter.

Blackburn Rovers clapback at Sammie Szmodics awards snub

Blackburn was undoubtedly disappointed that their former bagman did not take home the 2024 Northwest Football

Awards Championship Player of the Season award.

In the 2023–24 season, Szmodics scored 27 goals for Rovers, helping them avoid relegation. He finished in the top

three for the second division’s Player of the Season award, but lost it to Crysencio Summerville of Leeds United.

Sammie Szmodics’ 23/24 Championship stats
Apps	44
Starts	44
Goals	27
xG	22.36
Conversion rate	19%
Assists	4
Big chances created	7
Stats taken from Sofascore

He seemed a potentially obvious pick for the Northwest’s prize. Instead, Lindsay won it over the now-Ipswich Town player.

Preston’s 26-year-old defender had a solid season last time out, starting all 46 of the Lilywhites’ league games, but he

was nowhere near consideration for the Championship’s best player, so the decision to elect him as the winner of this

prize over Szmodics came as a shock.

In response to the news that Lindsay had been chosen as the winner, Blackburn’s X account sent a blunt but clear

message as to their thoughts on the decision. What did it contain? Just a picture of a shrugging Szmodics.

It’s as simple as this: without Szmodics, Rovers would have been relegated. That’s not an emotional statement either:

it’s factual.

Although the team only finished with 53 points for the season, his goals directly added 16 points to that total.

The Irish international hasn’t been playing at the same pace since making his £9 million Premier League switch.

which was to be expected considering the higher calibre of opposition he now faces.

He has scored three goals, including against Tottenham Hotspur and the champions of the top flight.According to

Alan Nixon, Blackburn will be pleased to see him continue to play well since it will directly benefit them. For every

five goals he scores, the Tractor Boys will give them £100,000, up to a total of £1 million.

In addition to being deserving of a Premier League transfer, his performance from the previous season was also

deserving of the Northwest Championship Player of the Season honour.