Swansea City Academy awards

24th May

Swansea City reflected on a successful season for its younger generation at its first Academy Player of the Year awards night at the Liberty Stadium.

The event was an opportunity to look back on a promising year for the club's young talent, which has seen the academy make great strides forward both on and off the pitch.

The academy, which unveiled key extensions to its Landore training complex in Landore in April, experienced Category One football for the first time this season with all age groups showing huge potential.

That potential was underlined by the Under-18s, who ended their first season in Premier League South by topping the tier 3 merit table following a successful finish in the play-offs.

But it was U16s defender Joe Lewis who scooped the main prize of the evening after he caught the eye with a strong campaign.

And Lewis, who also represented the club's U19s during a tournament in South Africa in March - expressed his delight at taking home the Academy Manager Player of the Year Award.

"It is amazing to have picked up this award - I definitely did not expect it," said Lewis. "It has been a great season and I feel I have achieved lots of things over the year. I have really enjoyed the experience.

"It has been a massive team effort. The start of the season was hard but we picked up momentum and managed to turn results around. I hope to push on now and make more progress next season."

The night was also a chance to celebrate some of the best young players from across the academy age groups with youngsters Daniel Watts picking up the U10s Player of the Year Award and Tivonge Rushesha the Player of the Year for the U14s.

Swans star Lukasz Fabianski also selected the winner for the Goalkeeper Save of the Season which went to U12s stopper Tyler Evans for his crucial last-ditch stop against West Brom.

And Sophie Cardy also picked up the Girls Player of the Year prize - a full list of winners are printed below.

Academy Manager Nigel Rees hailed the evening as a successful way to round off a season of new challenges, progress and development.

"I have been very proud of the achievements of the players and the staff this year. It has been great to celebrate this seasons successes on and off the pitch," he said.

"All the teams have been brilliant and risen to the challenge since we took the step up to play in the category one games programme this season.

"These awards are a huge achievement and honour for our young players. As an academy we want to keep progressing and developing to achieve even more for the football club next season."

Full list of awards

U9s Player of the Year (sponsored by Jones Brothers Henllan Limited)

Thomas Woodward

U10s Player of the Year (sponsored by Bont Scaffolding)

Daniel Watts

U11s Player of the Year (sponsored by Protectorcomms)

Joel Cotterill

U12s Player of the Year (sponsored by Heat Pump Services)

Kian Jenkins

U13s Player of the Year (sponsored by Paul Jones Fencing Limited)

Josh Thomas

U14s Player of the Year (sponsored by Shufflebottom Steel Frame Building)