Jordan Pickford may not have won the World Cup but he has been declared Fans' Footballer of the Year by Everton supporters.
The Blues' goalkeeper has been in fine form over the past 12 months, helping to keep Everton in the Premier League with big saves that cemented his place in the England team and saw him play in goal for the Three Lions in all of their five World Cup matches in Qatar.
Everton may not have enjoyed a rosy 2022, but Pickford has without question been one of their stand-out performers and can quite rightly feel that his recognition from supporters is fully deserved.
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His coronation was not plain sailing, however. Team-mate Alex Iwobi has been a player transformed under Frank Lampard and also picked up a sizeable chunk of the vote, pushing Pickford all the way with just 21 votes separating the pair.
Former Blue and World Cup star Richarlison was also nominated, alongside local hero Anthony Gordon, but it was Pickford who prevailed with a 37% share of the overall Everton supporters' vote. Iwobi came in second with a 34% share.
Across the Reach PLC football network, supporters have been voting for their Footballer of the Year from all clubs and there is a bit of a surprise when it comes to the overall national winner.
Newcastle United fans have voted on mass for their Brazilian star Bruno Guimaraes and the 25-year-old midfielder has emerged as the top dog in 2022.
Thousands of Toon fans got behind him, pushing their hero to victory with a 27% share of the 32,159 overall votes for the national award. Although the victory was much narrower than Mohamed Salah's landslide victory in 2021, Guimaraes was still well ahead of the Egyptian this time, who finished as national runner-up with a 21% vote share.
Do you think Jordan Pickford was Everton's Footballer of the Year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
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