Blackburn Rovers hit back at Preston award-winner despite Sammie Szmodics' Ipswich Town transfer | OneFootball

Rovers weren't happy that their former man didn't take home this trophy on Monday evening.

Blackburn Rovers have clapped back at the Northwest Football Awards' decision to elect Preston North End's Liam Lindsay as the 2024 Championship Player of the Season over Sammie Szmodics.

A couple of days after Manchester City's Rodri returned to the Etihad Stadium for the first time since winning the most coveted individual award in football - the Ballon D'or - the Northwest Football Awards held their annual prize giving ceremony.

Clubs, players and foundations from across the top-right region of England were celebrated for all that they had done in the year 2024.

Among the winners on Monday evening were City's Phil Foden, Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo, Stockport County's boss Dave Challinor and centre-back Fraser Horsfall, plus Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Sam Tickle.

They took home the rewards for their respective categories. All of those choices came with little controversy, but the pick of Lindsay as the northwest's best Championship footballer in 2024 was a bit of a rogue one, especially if you were to ask those of a Rovers persuasion.

Blackburn Rovers clapback at Sammie Szmodics awards snub

It's safe to say that Blackburn weren't that happy to see their former bagsman not win the Northwest Football Awards 2024 Championship Player of the Season trophy.

Szmodics scored 27 goals for Rovers in the 2023/24 campaign and was the main reason that they survived the drop, and he was in the top three for the second division's Player of the Season award, missing out on it to Leeds United's Crysencio Summerville.

He seemed a potentially obvious pick for the northwest's prize. Instead, Lindsay won it over the now Ipswich Town player.

Preston's 26-year-old defender had a solid season last time out, starting all 46 of the Lilywhites' league games, but he was nowhere near consideration for the Championship's best player, so the decision to elect him as the winner of this prize over Szmodics came as a shock.

In response to the news that Lindsay had been chosen as the winner, Blackburn'sX account sent a blunt but clear message as to their thoughts on the decision. What did it contain? Just a picture of a shrugging Szmodics.

Blackburn are right to not be happy with Sammie Szmodics, Championship Player of the Season outcome

It's as simple as this: without Szmodics, Rovers would have been relegated. That's not an emotional statement either: it's factual.

His goals directly contributed 16 points to the club's total tally for the season, which only came to 53.

Since making his £9 million Premier League move, the Irish international hasn't been firing at quite the same rate which was expected given the improved level of opposition he is now up against.

He has managed to score three times, including against the top flight's titleholders and versus Tottenham Hotspur. Blackburn will be happy to see his continued good form as it will directly benefit them, with £100,000 going to them from the Tractor Boys for every five goals he scores, up to a value of £1 million, according to Alan Nixon.

His output last season was certainly worthy of a Premier League move, and it was even more worthy of the Northwest Championship Player of the Season award too.