Of all the categories in this year’s awards, the most clear cut winner was Rickie Lambert.

The barrel chested scouser swept all before him in 2011-12 and how heartening it was to see this 30 year old veteran of Edgeley Park and Spotland so dominate the division. The parallels with Grant Holt have oft been drawn and no wonder – Lambert has every chance of matching the Norwich man’s achievements. 31 goals and four hat tricks have underlined his abilities and he has the knack of rousing the most disillusioned fans from their torpor – Lambert is not so much an old-fashioned centre forward as a vintage one – his barnstorming methods recall another Saints great in Alan Shearer and he emphatically dispelled any claims that he wouldn’t be Championship standard.

Elsewhere, Lambert’s Saints team mate Adam Lallana deserves a mention as does the ever composed Peter Whittingham. Ditto Jordan Rhodes (even if he does split our panel ^[1]), a Ricardo Vaz Tê who shone for two clubs ^[2], the evergreen Kevin Phillips (rumours that ‘evergreen’ is his actual real first name are unsubstantiated) and Chris Burke – provided with a new lease of life at Birmingham City.

And what of the Breton with whom we kicked off our Monday profile series of posts back in 2010 ^[3]? Yann Kermorgant has transformed himself from laughing stock to battering ram and our Carlisle correspondent never wants to see him again.

2010-11 winner: Adel Taarabt
2009-10 winner: Charlie Adam ^[4]