Friday’s awards also saw Christian Marques named the Academy Player of the Season having showed great progression throughout 2019/20, while Wolves’ Stadium Operations Team picked up the first award of the day when they were announced on social media.
Carling Top Goalscorer | Raul Jimenez
Having been voted Players’ Player of the Season on day three, the Mexican won the showpiece award on Friday, thanks to his goal tally throughout the season earning him the Carling Top Goalscorer prize.
The striker wasn’t just content with the 17 goals he scored in the Premier League – a new Wolves record for the competition, bettering the 15 he scored during the last campaign – Jimenez also netted another 10 goals in the Europa League, scoring six in six qualifying appearances.
In breaking Wolves’ Premier League goalscoring record, Jimenez also reached a tally for top-flight old gold goals which hadn’t been achieved in 45 years, since legendary striker John Richards back in the 1975/75.
Among his strikes in 2019/20, Jimenez scored some crackers, with two of his efforts – against Tottenham in March and Crystal Palace – nominated for the Goal of the Season award, which went to Ruben Neves for his stunner against Espanyol.
Congratulations on an incredible season, @Raul_Jimenez9 🇲🇽🐺#WolvesAwards pic.twitter.com/o1efEcnKDn
— Wolves (@Wolves) September 4, 2020
Altodigital Academy Player of the Season | Christian Marques
Having began the season as under-18s captain, Christian Marques’ quick progression through the professional phases of the club and into the first-team has seen him named Altodigital Academy Player of the Season.
In just his first full-season at Molineux, Marques has shown all the attributes which back up the praise he has received as being one of the best young talents in the country, playing in the heart of the back three and becoming the youngest ever player to wear the captain’s armband for Wolves’ under-23s.
His efforts had not gone unnoticed by Nuno Espirito Santo, with the Wolves boss having Marques train regularly with the first-team, and gave him his first squad appearance for the Europa League match against Olympiacos at Molineux, as well as being part of the group for the quarter final against Sevilla.
Head of Academy, Scott Sellars, said: “Christian quickly showed as a 16-year-old in the under-18s how good a player he was and this year, quickly moved from the under-18s to the under-23s, progressing really well.
“He’s had an outstanding season, where, as a 16-year-old boy, he was captain of the under-23s, which shows the pedigree of him as a person, but also the quality of him as a player,
“He’s got a great attitude and is someone who comes in every day and wants to work and wants to get better.”
Nuffield Health John ‘Foz’ Hendley Award | Wolves Stadium Operations Team
The first award of the day is usually given out internally at Molineux to a department within the club which has gone above and beyond in the previous 12 months.
Named in honour of the club’s late press officer and historian, the Nuffield Health John ‘Foz’ Hendley Award was this year presented to the Stadium Operations Team, led by head of operations Steve Sutton, for their tireless efforts in brining football back to Molineux and Compton Park following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The operations team laid the groundwork for training to reconvene back in May and games to be played at Molineux behind closed doors, providing a safe space for players and staff to return to work, while the country was still battling one of the biggest health emergencies in decades.
Dr Matt Perry, Wolves’ club doctor, said: “The opps people are just tremendous. When the players were coming back to start training, we had a very specific set of requirements from the Premier League on what was allowable.
“To meet those requirements, which we did on every step, required a huge amount of work by the opps team. Not just in terms of doing risk assessments and standard operating procedures, but building an entire fitness suite in the Academy dome and moving tonnes of concrete in there so we can attach machines for sprint training, so when the players came back to work, it was as if it had always been there.”
The club's Operations Department are the recipients of this year's John 'Foz' Hendley Award.
— Wolves (@Wolves) September 4, 2020
The team are being recognised for their tireless work towards getting staff and players back to Compton Park and Molineux in a safe environment. #WolvesAwards pic.twitter.com/JWAEMqOv5o
On day five, these final award winners will be confirmed:
- Blyth Group Fan of the Season Award
- Reconomy Outstanding Contribution Award
- ManBetX Player of the Season
