Wrexham midfielder Elliot Lee was shortlisted for the Player of the Season award in League Two, however, another talented player can feel hard done by.
Wrexham are closing in on a promotion to League One, so it was somewhat of a surprise that Phil Parkinson‘s name missed off the shortlisted for the Manager of the Season award in League Two, despite the huge budget he has to work with.
There was some Wrexham representation, though, as Elliot Lee was shortlisted for the EFL Player of the Season award.
Ryan Reynolds reacted to this news, congratulating the attacking midfielder who has plundered 15 goals this term.
Lee’s form across the campaign does deserve huge recognition, however, only two of those strikes have come in his last 19 appearances for the club.
The 29-year-old’s form in front of goal has dropped off significantly, but one player who has been consistently brilliant, particularly in recent months, is Max Cleworth.
Max Cleworth deserved Young Player of the Year nomination
Wrexham can be happy that Lee was shortlisted for a prestigious award, but Cleworth will feel hard done by that he didn’t receive a nomination for the Young Player of the Year award in the EFL.
Still only 21, the talented defender qualifies for a nomination, though he missed out to Stockport County’s Ethan Pye, MK Dons striker Max Dean and Tranmere Rovers Rob Apter.
Despite being unexposed at this level before Wrexham earned promotion last term, Cleworth hasn’t looked out of faze in defence, with the youngster showcasing his skills as a ball-playing defender.
Averaging an 83% pass completion in his half, the talented stopper is brilliant at travelling with the ball and he’s equally great at standing up to the physical challenge, winning 66% of his total duels and making 2.4 tackles per game – the second most in the Wrexham squad.
Cleworth’s impact in Parkinson’s back three has been enormous, conceding just 13 goals in the 19 matches he’s played while keeping an impressive seven clean sheets.
Why Cleworth wasn’t considered for the award
There is one major reason why Wrexham’s “ridiculous talent” wasn’t considered for a nomination, and that is largely down to the volume of games he’s played.
Cleworth only played in one of their first 22 matches of the campaign, but since his first ninety minutes of the season against Notts County in December, the 2002-born defender has never looked back.
Despite his age, he’s an assured figure defensively and he’s contributed significantly to Wrexham’s promotion charge.
Perhaps if he featured more in the early stages, Parkinson’s men would be clear of the chasing pack and Cleworth would have been one of the three youngsters shortlisted.