Award Braces For Dewsbury-Hall & Rantala
Hosted at King Power Stadium on Tuesday evening, the blue-carpet event was an opportunity to toast a landmark year for the Club’s men’s and women’s teams – which has included promotion back to the Premier League, winning the Sky Bet Championship title, and a record WSL points tally.
Academy graduate Dewsbury-Hall has been an integral figure for Enzo Maresca’s men in 2023/24 – inspiring the Foxes back to the top flight with 12 goals and 15 assists. That sensational individual return has been rewarded with an awards double, earning recognition not only from the Blue Army but also his Leicester team-mates.
Dewsbury-Hall’s Player of the Season win is another marker of his immense popularity with the Blue Army. For the second time in three years, meanwhile, Leicester’s No.22 has taken home the Players’ Player of the Season award – voted by his team-mates.
Speaking after bagging his two awards, Dewsbury-Hall said: “I couldn't really ask for much more. I set myself goals at the start of the season and the main one was to win the Championship. I'm so, so happy to have had a positive impact on the season and coming away with a bit of silverware. That's the best feeling in the world. It means an awful lot. To be recognised by the players and the fans - the people that are with you every day and the people that watch every game - I'm bursting with pride.”
Rantala, on the other hand, concludes her maiden campaign with City’s women’s team by also picking up both the Player and Players’ Player of the Season gongs.
With 10 strikes in all competitions, the Finland international is Leicester’s top goalscorer – a total which included a sensational long-range effort in the Adobe FA Cup Semi-Finals. Rantala has also registered six assists for the Foxes, who are currently 10th in the WSL table.
She said: “It's been really good. All the staff believe in me and I think I've had a really good season so far. We've got two games more and we can achieve more. It means a lot that the staff and players believe in me. It's been a really good season. I've played a few different positions and I came here with no expectations. The girls welcomed me really well into the team and I've really enjoyed my time here. All the thanks to the girls, they've made me feel at home here. We can still go higher in the table and that's what we want. That's what we want.”
Elsewhere during a memorable awards night on Filbert Way, winger Abdul Fatawu was confirmed as Leicester City’s Men’s Young Player of the Season. On loan from Sporting Lisbon this term, the Ghanaian quickly endeared himself to the Foxes faithful, finding the net on seven occasions and registering 13 assists so far in 2023/24.
Those totals were boosted last Tuesday night by a magnificent hat-trick and his pass for Jamie Vardy’s goal in the crucial 5-0 victory over Southampton at King Power Stadium. He also assisted Kasey McAteer in Monday’s 3-0 title-clinching success at Preston North End.
The Club’s Goal of the Season votes were competitive, too, with James Justin taking home the men’s prize for a brilliant hit in December’s 2-0 success at Cardiff City. Elsewhere, Missy Goodwin’s excellent effort in the 2-1 reverse at Liverpool was also selected by the Blue Army for the Women’s Goal of the Season award.
Academy awards, meanwhile, were selected by internally, with Silko Thomas being chosen as the Men’s Development Squad Player of the Season. The exciting forward has scored five times for the Under-21s in Premier League 2 this season, earning a call-up to the First Team squad for the Emirates FA Cup tie against Birmingham City.
Logan Briggs also collected the Men’s Academy Player of the Season award after stepping up from the Under-18s to make his mark for the Under-21s in 2023/24. Like Thomas, Briggs has impressed the senior staff at Leicester City and was on the bench for the FA Cup victory over Premier League outfit AFC Bournemouth in March.
The Women’s Academy Player of the Season, last but not least, was given to Kiera Bell, who helped the Under-21s finish second in the table, narrowly missing out to Manchester United Women on the final day of the campaign.
The young Foxes nevertheless recovered to lift the PGA Plate on Sunday afternoon following a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic in the final at Loughborough University.
Award winners
DG Legal Men’s Player of the Season
KIERNAN DEWSBURY-HALL
Seat Unique Women’s Player of the Season
JUTTA RANTALA
Absolute Solar Limited Men’s Players’ Player of the Season
KIERNAN DEWSBURY-HALL
Levy Women’s Players’ Player of the Season
JUTTA RANTALA
Arrow Men’s Young Player of the Season
ABDUL FATAWU
Farndon Foods Men’s Goal of the Season
JAMES JUSTIN (vs. Cardiff City)
Seat Geek Women’s Goal of the Season
MISSY GOODWIN (vs. Liverpool Women)
Roberts Travel Group Men’s Development Squad Player of the Season
SILKO THOMAS
Saracen Men’s Academy Player of the Season
LOGAN BRIGGS
Allscreens Nationwide Women’s Academy Player of the Season
KIERA BELL