Free-scoring Macaulay Langstaff is no stranger to personal accolades and described the Our Game Player of the Year award as ‘the icing on the cake’ of a memorable season.
The forward helped fire the Magpies back to the Football League with his record-breaking tally of 42 goals, made all the more remarkable by the fact none came from the spot.
He scooped his latest prize at the Non-League Paper’s National Game Awards, in association with Isuzu, 10 days after County’s dramatic penalty shootout victory over Chesterfield in the National League play-off final.
"I always say that personal accolades are the icing on the cake of team success," said Langstaff. "We have gained promotion and I have gained some personal accolades along the way, so it has been a great season.
"I am really honoured to win the Our Game Player of the Year award. I see the players that are here, they are top players and top professionals.
“It has been an incredible season and to win this award means a lot.”
Having signed from Gateshead for £50,000 last summer, Langstaff shattered the club record set by Tom Keetley which had stood for 92 years.
The Magpies went toe-to-toe with Wrexham in a titanic tussle for the title and though they eventually finished second on 107 points, Langstaff was delighted to get the job done in the play-offs.
He added: “It has been a bit of a rollercoaster and to finish it off with promotion is obviously unbelievable.
“To win it at Wembley in a penalty shootout, I don’t think there is a better way to win it. It is going to be a season I look back on for years to come.
“We were probably the underdogs, all the way through the season, everybody expected Wrexham to run away with it.
“Did I think we were both going to get over 100 points? No. It was really interesting for both sets of fans, but not for the players because we wanted to win the league."
Langstaff was not the only County winner on the day, with boss Luke Williams named Sports Ground Development Manager of the Year.
Accepting the award on Williams' behalf, his former teacher Mick Payne said: "When you see a manager go to the very top, people don't always see the foundations and the groundwork that he has had to go through to get to where he has got.
"I have known Luke since he was ten and I feel so privileged to be connected.
"As a player, he, unfortunately, had to finish very early due to injuries, and I think he was always destined in a way to be a coach and be a manager.
"He has worked tirelessly to get to where he is and I believe there are going to be big things for him down the line."
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