Crues winger Whyte wins Ulster Footballer of the Year award
The 22-year-old picks up top accolade at special gala event in Belfast
Last updated 24th Apr 2018
Young Crusaders star Gavin Whyte has picked up one of the most coveted accolades in the local game.
The 22-year-old winger was voted Ulster Footballer of the Year at a packed gala awards event at the Titanic Hotel in Belfast, last night.
Whyte, who has been in outstanding form this year for his club and Northern Ireland’s Under-21s, beat off stiff competition including team-mate, Billy Joe Burns; Chris Johns, Stephen O’Donnell and Jamie McGonigle (all Coleraine) and Joe Gormley (Cliftonville).
The Ulster Footballer of the Year award is the oldest in Ireland – having been first up for grabs in 1949.
Previous winners have include Glenn Spike Ferguson and Liam Boyce.
Whyte who has scored 24 goals for the Crues this season, said it was an honour to have followed in their footsteps.
He told Cool FM: “It is just starting to kick in now – and I am over the moon to get this.”
And he paid tribute to his manager Stephen Baxter and team-mates.
“The spirit is good – it has been good all year – and I think this is just what we are about,” he said.
“You know we are a confident team and there are some big characters in that changing room and it is great to be in among them.
“The team has been brilliant. I am up front with Paul Heatley and Jordan Owens and I couldn’t ask for a better strike partnership than those two.”
Later, he revealed he wanted to play professionally in England but would not confirm the speculation surrounding a possible move to Leeds.
He also talked about his relationship with Crues manager Stephen Baxter and paid tribute to his team-mates.
Whyte and a number of high-profile attendees at the awards were guests on our latest BetMcLean Football Show - an Ulster Footballer of the Year Awards special - now available to view on Cool FM's Facebook page (see below).
And it was a night when the great and the good – past and present – of the local game lined up to show their appreciation for the nominees.
Glenavon’s Mark Sykes won Young Player of the Year – pipping his team-mate Bobby Burns and Warrenpoint’s Lorcan Forde for the award.
Lauren Perry, who only turned 17 a couple of weeks ago, was the winner of the inaugural Cool FM Women’s Player of the Year.
The teenager signed for Linfield Ladies in March last year – just a couple of months later she was making her senior international debut against Norway in a World Cup qualifier after which she was named player of the match.
Other nominees were: Kendra McMullan (Sion Swifts) and Kirsty McGuinness (Linfield Ladies).
Elsewhere, Charlie Fogarty received the Disability Footballer of the Year award. Charlie’s story is remarkable.
A gifted midfielder, he had represented Northern Ireland at youth level and was just weeks into a trial at MK Dons when he was struck by a car while crossing the road in 2012.
Despite life-changing injuries, Charlie went on to become a motivational speaker and receive an MBE.
Finally, TV presenter, Jackie Fullerton, won the Malcolm Brodie Lifetime Achievement Award.