Distin Wins Players' Player

Frenchman thanks teammates for award.

Sylvain Distin paid tribute to his teammates after being voted Everton’s Players’ Player of the Season.

The popular veteran collected the award as the Club handed out its annual prizes at St George’s Hall in Liverpool city centre on Thursday night.

And the 34-year-old admitted his award was extra special because it came from his fellow squad members.

“They are the guys you play with every single day and you cannot fake or hide at all,” he said. “They see just how good you are – or how bad you are – so to get the award from them is extra special.

“We have a quality squad and so many of them could have won it. I feel so comfortable and at ease here and I really enjoy playing for Everton.”

It is hard to consider Distin’s season without discussing his FA Cup semi-final disappointment – a rare mistake from the experienced campaigner leading to Liverpool’s equaliser on the day.

But the way he dealt with it – first offering an immediate apology to the travelling Evertonians before fronting up to a national media spotlight – demonstrated the character of the man and why he is so highly regarded at Finch Farm.

"I'm passionate about my job, I love my job. I only focus on the bad things I do, never the good things," said Distin. "It did hurt me, but I bounced back - I had to and I'm happy I did. I'm happy to get this type of award, it's something amazing."

Make no mistake, Distin’s performances on the pitch make him a worthy candidate for any award. The 34-year-old has made 26 Premier League appearances and has helped the Blues maintain the fourth tightest defence in England’s top-flight.

But Distin’s contribution is greater than that. A model professional, he is frequently the last to leave training and sets a great example to the younger players.

The Everton Players’ Player of the Season award was sponsored by Mech and Tech.