After Stephy Mavididi won January’s award with a 41% share of 200 votes, we’re back again for February. Here’s this month’s nominees.
Remarkable to think this is now Matt Derbyshire’s fourth season in Cyprus, which is longer than he spent at Nottingham Forest or Rotherham United, but he is showing no signs of slowing down. The 33-year-old forward hit four goals in four league games in February, including a brace at the start of the month in a 4-1 win over Nicosia rivals Olympiakos (not the Greek side).
The former Blackburn man now has 12 goals for the season as Omonia lead the title race in Cyprus’s top-flight. If they were to hold onto top spot, it would secure a first league title for Derbyshire since he won the Greek title with Olympiacos in the 2008/09 season.
There were two real standout performances for Marcus Edwards in February. The former Spurs winger has been having a great time in Portugal this season with top-flight club Vitória providing regular goals and assists – who can forget his goal against Arsenal in the Europa League? Last month he played four times, with three starts. His first start of the month came against Famalicão and it did not disappoint as he scored twice in a 7-0 thrashing. Two weeks later, he was a key man once again as he set up both goals in a 2-0 win over Desportivo Aves. The 21-year-old is making a big impact.
The former Celtic forward has been linking up with his compatriot David Ball to devastating effect this season for Wellington Phoenix and the pair continued to link up last month. Ball himself could have been nominated having scored twice last month but Hooper just shaded it with an assist as well, coincidentally for Ball. Hooper has had a few injuries this season and even played a game for the club’s reserves in the New Zealand Premiership last year but he was back last month to hit a brace against Perth Glory and to assist the aforementioned Ball goal which turned out to be the winner against Melbourne City.
It’s been an incredible start to 2020 for England youth international Noni Madueke. This season he has played for the under-19 team, the B team and in the Eredivisie. Last month he made two substitute appearances for the first team, despite still being just 17-years-old. It’s not a surprise he has been given a chance for the senior side though, having seriously impressed for the B team in the second-tier of Dutch football. Last month he scored twice and provided an assist for Jong PSV as they continue to battle alongside fully-fledged men’s senior teams. The sky’s the limit for this boy, who has four goals and an assist in six matches in the second division.
Notes
I excluded Jadon Sancho again (three goals, two assists) and also didn’t include January nominees Sadik Balarabe and Stephy Mavididi, who had good months again. Honourable mention as well to Lee Spires who scored four goals in the Spanish fourth-tier last month, including a hat-trick for his side Huércal Overa in a 6-1 win.
English Players Abroad 