Nuno and Chris Wood double for Forest at the FWA Midlands awards..
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Nottingham Forest completed the double as Nuno Espirito Santo and Chris Wood took the Football Writers’ Association’s Midlands Manager and Footballer of the Year awards.
Report by Nick Mashiter
Nuno Is the FWA’s Midland’s Manager of the Year for the second time, having guided Forest to the upper reaches of the Premier League less than a year after beating relegation on the final day of the season.
Forest, who also reached the FA Cup semi-finals before losing to Manchester City on Sunday, dropped out of the top four last weekend but have a game in hand – against Brentford on Thursday – knowing victory will lift them back to third.
It is Nuno’s second FWA Midlands Manager of the Year award, having previously won it with Wolves in 2018-19.
Wood has scored 19 goals this season to maintain Forest’s top four challenge while they also reached the FA Cup semi final, losing 2-0 at Wembley to Manchester City on Sunday.
The 33-year-old, who signed a new contract to keep him at the City Ground until 2027 earlier this year, has also scored nine goals for New Zealand this term.
The pair were announced as the winners at the FWA’s Midlands lunch in Birmingham, with former England captain Bryan Robson and Leicester title winners Wes Morgan and Marc Albrighton among those in attendance.
Bryan Robson attended to celebrate 20 years since managing WBA’s ‘great escape’ from relegation
Birmingham City’s Amy Merricks was also named Women’s Manager of the Year with the Blues pushing for promotion from the Championship.
They are second and host leaders London City Lionesses in the final day on Sunday, two points behind their visitors knowing victory will win them the title.
Merricks moved to Birmingham a year ago, having previously been interim boss at Brighton and leading the England Under-19s. After finishing fifth in the Women’s Championship last season Birmingham have gone from strength to strength under her leadership.
Leicester City’s Missy Goodwin took the Women’s Player of the Year crown.
The forward is a former county champion in badminton who also played cricket in the Worcestershire county schools team but her form for Leicester earned her an England Under-23 call up in February.
Now in her third season at the club – having started her career at Birmingham before joining Aston Villa – she is enjoying her best season yet, scoring the winner against Liverpool while her goal in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea in December ended the champions’ winning start.
Goodwin said: “This season has been a campaign of progress under a new manager for us and we are on track to record our highest ever points total. While this is an individual award, I want to shine the light on my team-mates who have all played vital parts in the team picking up some great results this year.
“There are some great teams and players in the Midlands, so it really does mean so much to me to be recognised in this way.
“Women’s football continues to grow across the country and around the world. It’s great to see the women’s game championed by the FWA and my thanks again to everyone in the room for their work in helping to do that.”
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