Sheffield Wednesday’s official Player of the Year award sponsored by Handley Brown solicitors, as voted for by fans via the clubs official website, www.swfc.co.uk has been awarded to Neil Mellor.
The striker, who has been at Hillsborough on a season-long loan from Preston North End, has bagged 13 league goals in a total of 32 League One appearances this season and 7 cup goals have taken him to the 20 goal mark.
After a solid start to the season the former Liverpool striker struggled for a period following an injury picked up in the Football League Trophy defeat at Carlisle in November. He has however recently regained his place in the team under new manager Gary Megson and 6 goals in the last 7 matches has underlined his importance to the team.
Mellor has a year left on his current contract with Preston, who will be playing in the same division as Wednesday next season following their relegation from the Championship but he has intimated that he would like to stay with the Owls if a deal can be reached to suit all parties involved.
Mellor received 31% of the votes in claiming the award, just ahead of Nicky Weaver who got 26%. The Owls goalkeeper has been consistent for most of the season and his fine form in the early months of the campaign was the main reason why Wednesday got off to a good start.
Tommy Miller finished in 3rd place with 10% of the vote. Miller has been made captain under Gary Megson and has hit double figures in terms of goals this season, a rare achievement for an Owls midfielder in recent years, even taking into account that many of his goals have come from the penalty spot.