Coventry's Gustavo Hamer, Sheffield United's Paul Heckingbottom win April Championship awards
Coventry City's Gustavo Hamer and Sheffield United's Paul Heckingbottom win in Championship; Ipswich Town's Conor Chaplin and Kieran McKenna win in League One; Bradford City's Andy Cook and Stevenage's Steve Evans win in League Two
Thursday 11 May 2023 12:24, UK
Coventry City midfielder Gustavo Hamer has been named the Sky Bet Championship Player of the Month for April.
Hamer was the driving force behind Coventry's surge into the play-off places. A ball of constant motion dragging his side through games from box to box, his material contributions were two goals and four assists in seven games.
Hamer said: "I am buzzing, to be fair. I didn't expect it. It's so nice to have been recognised for this award, especially as it is across the entire Championship.
"It's been a busy week of awards, having been named as the Club's Player of the Season last week, voted for by the fans, and now this is the icing on the cake.
"I am proud of the team, who have played their part too. We're in a fantastic position in the table and we have a big game on Monday, which I am very much looking forward to."
Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom has been named the Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month for April.
Even the lure of an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley could not deflect Heckingbottom from his true purpose of achieving automatic promotion. Six wins out of seven games with a 13-4 goals differential meant they accomplished it comfortably.
Heckingbottom said: "It has been a long, tough campaign but the commitment of everyone associated with Sheffield United has been rewarded with promotion.
"April has been hard, a total of eight games including an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley but we did not allow that game to distract us from our main goal of picking up points in the league to get over the line.
"This award is for everyone at the club, including our fantastic supporters."
Sky Bet League One
Player: Conor Chaplin, Ipswich
Ipswich Town striker Conor Chaplin has been named the Sky Bet League One Player of the Month for April.
A dream month to cap a dream season for Chaplin who scored 10 goals in eight April games and added an assist. Coming onto the ball from a number 10 role has been his making, as shown by his hat-trick against Charlton and a clever lofted finish at Barnsley.
Chaplin said: "I'm very pleased to pick up the award, not just because of the goals but becaue of the month we've had as a team, as a club.
"It goes to show how consistent we were in April, and how we'll we're playing. The amount of goals we've scored is a testament to my team-mates for the amount of chances we created."
Manager: Kieran McKenna, Ipswich
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has been named the Sky Bet League One Manager of the Month for April.
Ipswich's April stats alone are staggering. Eight games played, 22 points gained, 27 goals scored and just two conceded.
McKenna's sumptuous side recorded 6-0 wins over Charlton and Exeter and had observers drooling over their football as they won promotion.
McKenna said: "You don't have the season we've had and you certainly don't have the finish we've had without the work that goes on from everybody who works for the club all through the year.
"The spirit and togetherness in the club is fantastic and everyone's pulled in the same direction. That's a massive part of what's been successful this season and it's great to be able to recognise that today."
Sky Bet League Two
Player: Andy Cook, Bradford
Bradford City forward Andy Cook has been named the Sky Bet League Two Player of the Month for April.
Whenever Bradford needed a goal to bolster their promotion push, Cook answered the call just as he has all season, with razor-sharp instincts, trademark headers and a solo effort against Sutton among his five goals and two assists.
Sky Sports' EFL pundit Don Goodman said: "It's hard to overstate Cook's importance to Bradford this season, with 35 goal involvements second to only Erling Haaland among players in England's top four tiers.
"The Bantams look destined for the play-offs and will be a team to be feared, so a huge amount of credit must go Cook's way for that - and indeed Mark Hughes' for providing an atmosphere that has allowed him to flourish."
Manager: Steve Evans, Stevenage
Stevenage manager Steve Evans has been named the Sky Bet League Two Manager of the Month for April.
Steering your side over the automatic promotion line is no easy task in an eight-game month with some awkward fixtures, but Evans did exactly that. Stevenage lost just once as they gained 15 points to seal their passage to League One.
Evans said: "I am absolutely delighted to receive this award. It goes without saying that I receive it on behalf of Paul Raynor, Alex Revell, Ian Pledger plus all the players and affiliated staff at the football club."
