Vardy Bags A Brace In LCFC’s End Of Season Awards
- Jamie Vardy is voted as the Football Club’s 2019/20 Player of the Season by Leicester City supporters
- The Foxes No.9 is also selected by his team-mates to receive the Players’ Player of the Season prize after netting 23 Premier League goals so far this term
- Academy graduate Harvey Barnes bags the Young Player and Goal of the Season prizes, the latter for his stunning strike at Sheffield United last August
- Luke Thomas is named as the Club’s Development Squad Player of the Season, while goalkeeper Oliver Bosworth is the Academy Player of the Season for the second year
Vardy, 33, is City’s and the Premier League’s current top goalscorer in 2019/20 with 23 strikes and recently joined an illustrious club of players to score over 100 goals in England’s top-flight.
The Club’s all-time top Premier League marksman was voted for by the Blue Army to win the Player of the Season prize for the first time over his eight years as a Fox.
An immensely popular figure in the dressing room at King Power Stadium, Vardy also bagged the Club’s Players’ Player of the Season award, voted by his Leicester City team-mates.
After collecting his brace of awards at Belvoir Drive, City’s iconic No.9 said: “It’s been a great season for this Football Club and the goals I’ve scored personally would not be possible without my team-mates around me and the support of our fans, so I’d like to thank them both.
“We’ve a fantastic squad of players who performed really well over the season, so to have these voted for by the fans and my team-mates is really special and I’m extremely proud to received them.”
Elsewhere, Academy graduate Barnes capped off a brilliant season with a duo of prizes of his own, collecting the Young Player of the Season and Goal of the Season awards.
The 22-year-old winger, who grew up in Countesthorpe, has enjoyed an impressive campaign for Brendan Rodgers’ men, scoring six goals and assisting eight in the Premier League.
Both of Barnes’ awards were sealed via supporter polls, with his magnificent, first-time volley in a 2-1 win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane back in August 2019 being picked out by the Foxes faithful as City’s best goal of 2019/20.
Reflecting on his two awards, Barnes said: “I’ve really enjoyed this season and, with the support of the manager and, of course, the fans, I feel that I’ve been able to improve my game.
“I remember when I won the Development Squad Player of the Season award and how much it meant to me. To now get the Young Player of the Season award is another special moment for me personally.
“I’ve always tried to add more goals to my game and the one at Sheffield United is something I'm very proud of. It sealed a big win for us and that’s the most important thing.”
Meanwhile, after making his senior debut for the Club this month, talented left-back and Academy graduate, Luke Thomas, is the 2019/20 Development Squad Player of the Season.
Thomas, 19, has been with the Foxes since the age of seven and, like Barnes, holds Leicester City close to his heart after going to school in Syston before turning professional.
The enterprising full-back, who has so far featured for the first team against Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur, made 15 appearances in Premier League 2 for Leicester’s Under-23s.
Upon receiving the award, Thomas said: “The last few weeks have been a time in my life which I will never forget and this just adds to it. Ever since I joined the Club about 12 years, I’ve always wanted to play for the first team and it was a dream come true when I started against Sheffield United.
“None of that would have been possible without my performances for the Development Squad and the support of the coaches in the Academy. I know I’ve still got such a long way to go before I can call myself an established first team player and I’m ready to work as hard as I can to achieve that. Playing for Leicester City at any level is all I wanted to do when I was a kid and to do that now is just amazing.”
Talented goalkeeper Oliver Bosworth, on the other hand, received the Academy Player of the Season prize for the second year running after another excellent season for the Under-18s.
Before the Premier League U18 South season was curtailed due to COVID-19, the shot-stopper’s performances helped the young Foxes climb to fourth in the Under-18 league table.
He said: “I’m really proud to win this award after another season of working hard and learning from my coaches. One of the best things about being at Leicester City is that all the goalkeepers, from first team down to the Under-18s, all train together each day. They provide so much support in training and I learn something new every day.
“Hopefully I can continue to push on now and build on this to become a better goalkeeper over the next year. I remember how it felt to get this award last season, my first in the Under-18s, and I’d say it's probably even more special to me to do it again.”
The Leicester City 2019/20 End of Season Awards winners in full:
Player of the Season – Jamie Vardy
Players’ Player of the Season – Jamie Vardy
Young Player of the Season – Harvey Barnes
Goal of the Season – Harvey Barnes vs. Sheffield United (A)
Development Squad Player of the Season – Luke Thomas
Academy Player of the Season – Oliver Bosworth