Hull striker Oscar Estupinan and Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom win Championship awards; Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Liam Palmer and Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley win in League One; Northampton striker Sam Hoskins and Leyton Orient manager Richie Wellens win in League Two
Tuesday 13 September 2022 09:18, UK
Hull City striker Oscar Estupinan has been named the Sky Bet Championship Player of the Month for August.
An arch old-school poacher, the Colombian's seven goals in six games added up to a combined distance of 33 yards.
If they were rarely things of beauty, their value was priceless to Hull, the division's second lowest scorers last season.
Estupinan said: "Firstly, I should say that I am extremely happy and proud to win this prize. It is a prize that reflects the teamwork, starting from the goalkeeper up to the attacking players, and the manager.
"I am surprised with the amount of goals I've scored! My teammates are the ones who have enabled me to have chances to score that amount of goals. This is a prize for the whole team."
Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom has been named the Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month for August.
What began in late winter has continued into summer with Heckingbottom leading the Blades to the head of the Championship.
Their opening seven games brought 14 points and an equally impressive 14 goals to a resurgent Bramall Lane.
Heckingbottom said: "August has been tough with seven league games and a cup fixture, but we have made an encouraging start thanks to the hard work and commitment of everyone associated with the club.
"There's been some challenges, but it has been a team effort, including players, staff and supporters and hopefully we can build on it in the coming months."
Player: Liam Palmer, Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday wing back Liam Palmer has been named the Sky Bet League One Player of the Month for August.
A momentous month for Palmer who made his 350th appearance for Wednesday, helped preserve four clean sheets and took his career goal tally from four to six, a fitting reward for his heart-warming charity work over the summer, when he ran 10km every day in June to raise funds for the ill son of a former team-mate.
Palmer said: "I'm really pleased and didn't expect it at all. There have been a lot of great nominees so it's really nice to win.
"It's nice to win an individual award, all I want to do is work hard for the team and get three points on a Saturday!"
Manager: Danny Cowley, Portsmouth
Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley has been named the Sky Bet League One Manager of the Month for August.
His summer reshuffling of the squad has done wonders for Cowley's Pompey who looked energised and focused during August as they collected 13 points from five unbeaten matches with an emphatic 10-2 goal differential to move top.
Cowley said: "This is an award for the whole club and I firstly want to congratulate the players for the consistency of their performances.
"The staff have also been selfless in the way they have worked to support and challenge the players, so they can be the best they can be.
"Also, of course, there is our supporters who have been able to influence our performances and, consequently, positively affect the outcome of our games.
"It's always lovely to see people achieve the results that their hard work deserves. Now, as a football club, we're looking forward to the challenges that September brings."
Player: Sam Hoskins, Northampton Town
Northampton Town striker Sam Hoskins has been named the Sky Bet League Two Player of the Month for August.
Hoskins did it all in August, scoring five of Northampton's eight goals from all angles, including an impudent free-kick at Crawley and straight from a corner at Crewe, and set up another with his boundless energy and enthusiasm.
Hoskins said: "We have made a good start to the season as a team and personally I am very proud to pick up the award.
"While I am delighted with my goal tally so far, the team's fortunes are always the most important thing and we are pleased with how things have gone in the first month of the season. Our challenge is to try and continue that progress.
"Personally, I ended last season in decent form and that has carried over into this season which I am obviously very pleased about."
Manager: Richie Wellens, Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient manager Richie Wellens has been named the Sky Bet League Two Manager of the Month for August.
Wellens is quietly rebuilding his managerial reputation in style in east London, creating a side that is easy on the eye and determined in front of goal.
Their prize for earning 13 points from five unbeaten games was top spot in League Two.
Wellens said: "We've found different ways to win matches. We still want more though, we want more possession in our game. At the minute, we look really dangerous going forward and solid defensively."
"As nice it is to win the award, I think that it should be management of the month, not manager. I have a great team around me. Paul Terry and Matt Harrold are a joy to be around, our medical team, our analysts, everyone. They all contribute massively to the success of this team."
