TO coincide with this weekend's kick-off to the new Premier League season, voting is now open for the public to decide which football players they want to see pick up silverware at the North West Football Awards 2013.
The annual awards will be held at Lancashire Cricket Club's, The Point conference centre this autumn.
Liverpool's Martin Skrtel scooped the accolade for the Player of the Year at last year's Awards while divisional winners included: Alex Baptiste (Championship) and Nick Powell (League Two).
Skrtel - last year's North West Football Awards winner
So will the Anfield star be succeeded by Carrick - so instrumental in Manchester United's 20th top flight title winning campaign? Or perhaps it will be Baines, a reported target for the champions who enjoyed an outstanding season? His highlights included a first senior international goal for England, voted into the PFA Team of the Year and winning Everton fans' player of the season and players' player of the season awards.
City and Liverpool fans would surely prefer to see wins for Pablo Zabaleta or Kop legend, Jamie Carragher?
The judging panel includes: Gordon Taylor, chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association, former chief executive of the Football Association, Mark Palios, and Paul Thorogood, chief executive of the Football Foundation.
To vote and also see the full list of Player and Rising Star nominations visit:www.northwestfootballawards.com/voting2013
The following have been nominated for player of the season:
- Accrington Stanley (Lee Molyneux)
- Altrincham (Duncan Watmore)
- Barrow-in-Furness (Danny Hurst)
- Blackburn Rovers (Jordan Rhodes)
- Blackpool (Alex Baptiste)
- Bolton Wanderers (Jay Spearing)
- Burnley (Charlie Austin)
- Bury (David Worrall)
- Carlisle United (Matthew Robson)
- Chester City (George Horan)
- Crewe Alexandra (Luke Murphy)
- Droylsden (Rob Sissons)
- Everton (Leighton Baines)
- Hyde United (Luke Ashworth)
- Liverpool (Jamie Carragher)
- Macclesfield Town (Peter Winn)
- Manchester City (Pablo Zabaleta)
- Manchester United (Michael Carrick)
- Morecambe (Jack Redshaw)
- Oldham Athletic (Jose Baxter)
- Preston North End (John Welsh)
- Rochdale (Jason Kennedy)
- Southport (Shaun Whalley)
- Stockport County (Jordan Fagbola)
- Tranmere Rovers (Zoumana Bakayogo)
- Vauxhall Motors (Tom Hannigan)
- Wigan Athletic (Shaun Maloney).
The top three most voted for player from each category (Barclays Premier League, Championship, Npower League One, Npower League Two, Conference) will be shortlisted and the winner chosen by the judging panel. Voting closes on Friday 4 October, 2013.
North West Football Awards 2013
For more information visit www.northwestfootballawards.com
