Sheffield Wednesday midfielder makes history by scooping prestigious EFL award

The 30-year-old is well known for the work that he does for the community, working closely with Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice for several years, and last summer he got on board with the Baton of Hope as he carried it in Hillsborough to help raise awareness around suicide.

It’s a cause that is close to his heart having lost his grandparents, Hywel and Tom, to suicide, and his work saw him win the Championship’s Player in the Community award for 2024, putting him up for the overall award alongside Marlon Pack of Portsmouth for League One and Morecambe’s Farrend Rawson in League Two.

Now having won it he has become the first player ever to have been crowned the EFL’s Player in the Community on three separate occasions, impressively doing so at three different clubs as well. He says it’s nice to be recognised, but made clear that there are many others like him.

“It’s always a bit awkward taking one of these awards, it’s a lot easier to take Player of the Season - but I don’t win that very often,” he joked. “But no, it’s really nice, and I think as players we have a responsibility to give back to our community. I played with Marlon at Cardiff, so I know exactly what he does, and he’s a great guy. But there are loads of players that do a lot, and I think we get some bad press along the way.

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“We do do quite a lot, so this is really nice, but it’s a cause - and I think why I’m here - that is really close to my heart, something that happened to my family, and I thought it was important at a time when I’m getting a bit older with kids of my own to speak out about it and try and raise awareness. I’m really grateful and I appreciate it.”