Adam Lallana voted 2016 England Player of the Year and Nathan Redmond wins U21 award
Monday 30 January 2017 13:47, UK
Liverpool's Adam Lallana has been named 2016 England Player of the Year following a vote among members of the England Supporters club.
The Reds midfielder attracted 39 per cent of votes ahead of Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy (12 per cent) and Manchester United's Wayne Rooney (eight per cent).
Nathan Redmond picked up the England U21 Player of the Year award. The Southampton winger (32 per cent) saw off competition from club team-mate James Ward-Prowse (25 per cent) and Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek (12 per cent).
Lallana was a regular for England across 2016 with the 28-year-old scoring his first international goal in September's last-gasp win over Slovakia, before going on to net in November's games against Scotland and Spain at Wembley.
Lallana told TheFA.com: "This award is a huge honour. The last three winners were Rooney (2015), Rooney (2014) and Steven Gerrard (2012) so that just goes to show what a great achievement this is.
"Things have been going well this season for my club so that always helps. When you're playing well for your club then hopefully you can transmit your form into the national team and help out.
"That's what has been happening but I don't want that to be for just one season - I want to continue that for as long as possible.
"Off the back of a disappointing year for England as a whole, I'll be looking to definitely improve in 2017 and hopefully we can build on how it has started under Gareth Southgate, as there have been plenty of positives."
His boss at Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, said: "I think he really deserved it because he had an outstanding year. It's really nice that people see what he is doing and I am really happy for him."
England resume their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign on Sunday March 26 when they face Lithuania at Wembley.
Redmond, 22, was a crucial part of the squad that won 2016's Toulon Tournament and also helped the team to reach the 2017 European U21 Championship finals with an unbeaten qualifying record.
"I'm delighted," said Redmond. "I was up against some other worthy winners, so I don't think words can describe how good of an achievement it is.
"I'm so thankful to the people that voted for me, and also to the other boys in that Under-21 squad for the past couple of campaigns. I wouldn't have been able to achieve the levels I've been playing at if it wasn't for the standard of players there."
Next up for Redmond and his U21 team-mates are trips to Germany and Norway in March, as preparations for this summer's Euro finals continue.
