New City player of the year Joe Colbeck has promised to deliver a better acceptance speech if he wins again!

The young winger was visibly shocked at the club's awards night when fans voted him for the T&A/Bradford & Bingley title.

Two days on it is still sinking in for a player who was so far out of Stuart McCall's thinking earlier in the season that he was shipped out to Darlington on loan.

Colbeck admitted: "If you'd said at the beginning of the season that I would win this award, I'd have thought you were mad. I wasn't even a regular in the team. My mum told me to ring her if I won but I just said shut up, there's no chance'!

"I thought it was more likely to be Peter Thorne because of the goals he's scored or David Wetherall, who's been so consistent in his last year.

"So to win it was even more of a buzz because I never expected anything. It was the proudest day of my life.

"I'm a shy lad and still felt a bit embarrassed when I went up for the trophy and was asked a few questions. But hopefully if I can win it again next year, I'll make sure the speech is a lot better!"

Colbeck has started 23 of the last 26 games since returning to Valley Parade from the north-east, winning over the supporters with a run of in-form displays. And he accepts the bar will be raised for next term now that he has been honoured.

He added: "I know people will expect more of me but this is a massive confidence booster. It shows that people are behind me and supporting me to do my best.

"There were a lot of big players in the dressing room that could have won that award. I'm still stunned."

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