Reserve Player of the Season

Youth has once again been the key ingredient for Andy Holden's reserve squad this season.

There have been appearances for senior first-team players such as Lee Carsley, Richard Wright, Gary Naysmith, Andy van der Meyde and Alessandro Pistone.

But when the more experienced individuals have figured, they have done so as part of a side dominated by teenagers who are working their way through the club's youth system.

There have been a number of notable performers this term, with full-backs Stephen Wynne and Laurence Wilson providing consistent performances, skipper Mark Hughes providing evidence he has a bright future in the game and Icelandic Under-21 international Bjarni Vidarsson demonstrating he has an eye for goal to match his ability.

But the man singled out for this award has shone more brightly than the rest.

Seventeen-year-old Victor Anichebe has netted six goals for the club's second string during the last 10 months, made his senior debut in the FA Cup clash with Chelsea at Goodison and caught the imagination of the Goodison faithful eager to see the imposing striker make the next step in his progression.

A man of few words, he was asked after receiving his award from Leon Osman and Lee Carsley how it felt to make his first senior appearance in the match against Chelsea.

He simply said: "It was class man!"