Shayne Lavery on value of diet focus and team-mates after awards double

The Northern Ireland striker has won both the Dream Spanish Homes Young Player of the Year and the Danske Bank Player of the Year titles at the NI Football Awards.

By winning the historic double, Lavery follows in the footsteps of Paul Byrne in 1993, Stuart Dallas in 2011 and Gavin Whyte in 2018.

A delighted Lavery said: “It’s a great honour for me to be listed alongside those names. I’d like to thank the Football Writers’, NIFL and their sponsors for these awards.

“I think my good form can be attributed to a combination of things. I’ve worked hard in the gym, I’ve improved my diet and I’ve gained a lot of experience on the pitch thanks to the faith David Healy has put in me.

“It’s a joy to play in this Linfield team, as the boys create a lot of chances for the strikers. In many ways, putting the ball in the net is the easy part.

“It’s a pleasure to play with lads like Andy Waterworth, Jamie Mulgrew and Jimmy Callacher. Those guys drive you on to win matches and trophies. Although I’ve won these individual awards, it wouldn’t have been possible without my teammates. It’s been a fantastic season thanks to them.”

This year’s NI Football Awards were voted for by the members of the Northern Ireland Football Writers’ Association and the Danske Bank Premiership managers.

The 22-year-old is in Ian Baraclough’s squad for Thursday’s game with Ukraine.

Lavery’s manager David Healy added: “The Irish League offers lads who are released by clubs in England or Scotland the opportunity to rebuild their careers. Shayne has proved that if you work hard and look after yourself, this league can be a springboard for young players. There’s no limit to what he can achieve.”

--

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world.

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you