Cardiff City’s end-of-season awards are set to take place on Saturday, April 25, following the Bluebirds’ final home game against Northampton Town.
It has been a hugely successful season, with Brian Barry-Murphy’s side sealing an instant return to the Championship.
Attention will now turn to who takes home the individual honours this Saturday.
Below, I will outline my four picks for all the major individual awards:
This is a difficult category to call, given the array of young talent coming through the Bluebirds’ academy right now.
However, I have gone for 16-year-old Axel Donczew.
While Dylan Lawlor and Ronan Kpakio have both emerged prominently this season, their impact at senior level arguably places them beyond this category.
Instead, this award should highlight the next star coming through the ranks.
Donczew gets the nod for me.
The attacking midfielder became the youngest player in Cardiff City history at just 15 years and 234 days, making his debut against Newport County in the EFL Trophy.
In doing so, he broke the long-standing record held by Aaron Ramsey, who made his debut in 2007 against Hull City – before Donczew was even born.
With Rob Tankiewicz starting the Newport game, he briefly held the record for 64 minutes before being replaced by his fellow academy starlet, who took it from him.
Both are consistently playing above their age group at Under-21 level, showcasing their ability to compete.
Donczew also impressed in a cameo against AFC Wimbledon in the EFL Trophy, hitting the bar, and is a player with dazzling feet and a low centre of gravity.
That natural ability earned him a place on the bench against Chelsea in the EFL Cup quarter-final at the Cardiff City Stadium.
The youngster may yet get an opportunity to feature in City’s final three league games, with promotion already secured.
There is very little debate around this award.
Dylan Lawlor’s breakthrough campaign has been one of the standout stories of Cardiff’s season.
The 20-year-old, described as a “Rolls-Royce of a centre-back”, glides with the ball at his feet and is assured defensively.
The Caerphilly-born star possesses a technical quality and confidence beyond his years, and has quickly become a key figure in the Cardiff side.
He has also contributed two goals and two assists this season from centre-half.
He has provided two perfectly weighted lofted passes for Alex Robertson to score, while his solo goals against Leyton Orient and Doncaster Rovers are simply remarkable.
The latter, against Rovers, earned a nomination in the Top 5 EFL Goals of the Season, as he beat several players before driving through the pitch and applying the finish.
His unique profile and performances have not gone unnoticed.
Craig Bellamy, Wales’ head coach, handed him his debut in September. Lawlor earned the Man of the Match award and has since become a regular in the national side.
Another seamless transition for a centre-half who takes everything in his stride.
Cardiff have a serious talent on their hands.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, links with giants such as Manchester United and Bayern Munich have emerged.
Lawlor is the standout pick for this award, and given his ceiling, Cardiff have a huge asset on their hands – one they would do well to hold onto beyond this summer.
Cardiff have scored 95 goals in all competitions this season.
There is certainly no shortage of contenders.
Given the overhaul in style of play under Brian Barry-Murphy and the individual quality Cardiff possesses, this made for a tough decision.
Contenders include:
While these all deserve a mention, there are still others that could easily be included.
However, Dylan Lawlor’s solo effort against Doncaster Rovers stands above the rest.
As previously mentioned, it has been nominated in the Top 5 EFL Goals of the Season.
It also won February’s League One Goal of the Month award.
For a young centre-half to have the confidence to carry the ball that distance, maintain control, and slot it past the goalkeeper with such composure is truly extraordinary.
It is not the first time he has done it this season, either, with remarkable similarities to his goal against Leyton Orient at the Cardiff City Stadium – his first professional goal.
A worthy winner, and a second award that Lawlor looks set to pick up on Saturday.
If there is one award that feels almost certain, it is this.
Cardiff City officially announced their six-player shortlist earlier this month:
While all the nominees deserve their plaudits, Wintle is the nailed-on pick.
Since returning from a loan spell at Millwall last season, the 28-year-old has been Brian Barry-Murphy’s go-to man in the number six role.
He is the heartbeat of the team, and his ability to dictate tempo, break up play, and provide a shield for Cardiff’s backline has made him crucial to the system.
Without him, Cardiff simply do not function in the same way – a point highlighted in my earlier piece.
The former Crewe man has also registered seven assists this season, the second most in the squad behind Ollie Tanner.
Picking up the ball on the right-hand side of the pitch and delivering wicked crosses is quickly becoming a trademark of his.
His delivery from this position helped break the deadlock against Reading on Saturday, with Rubin Colwill heading home from another excellent ball.
Others have had their moments this season, but no one has matched Wintle for consistency and influence, and that makes him the standout Player of the Season.
Cardiff City’s awards this year will certainly be a lot more enjoyable than last.
This is a club on the up, with a strong spine built around academy talent that now makes up a significant portion of the squad.
A free-flowing, attacking style of play under Brian Barry-Murphy has given supporters plenty to celebrate, and the foundations look strong heading into next season in the Championship and beyond.
To round up, my predictions are:
Let us know your winners, Cardiff City fans, in the comments below.
