Burnley midfielder Robbie Brady tops the list of nominations for this weekend's FAI awards with the 25-year-old making the shortlist for both the senior and young international player prizes.
Brady had a good 2016 with the Dubliner featuring in all but one of Ireland’s games and getting three goals, two of them at the European Championships where his celebration after scoring a fine close-range effort against Italy also became one of the enduring images of the tournament.
His versatility also became a major asset for Martin O’Neill, with the player routinely slotting in at either left back or on the left side of midfield but also, on occasion, for spells in a more central role.
Goal of the year
Séamus Coleman, who succeeded
Robbie Keane
as Ireland’s captain and scored the team’s winning goal in the World Cup qualifier against Georgia, also makes a senior shortlist that is completed by Brady’s clubmate and long-time friend
Jeff Hendrick
.
Brady and Hendrick both make the young player list, with Shane Duffy, the Derry-born Brighton centre back who looked to have established himself by the tail-end of the year as a regular, also included among the nominees.
Brady’s strike against Italy, meanwhile, is nominated for the goal of the year award along with Wes Hoolahan’s against Sweden and James McClean’s in the win away to Austria.
Karen Duggan, Stephanie Roche and Aine O'Gorman make the shortlist for the senior women's international player award. Shortlists – senior men: Robbie Brady, Séamus Coleman, Jeff Hendrick. Young player: Robbie Brady, Shane Duffy, Jeff Hendrick. Senior women: Karen Duggan, Aine O'Gorman, Stephanie Roche. International goal: Robbie Brady v Italy (Euro 2016), Wes Hoolahan v Sweden (Euro 2016), James McClean v Austria (World Cup qualifier). U21 player: Harry Charsley, Josh Cullen, Callum O'Dowda. U19 men: Colm Deasy, George Poynton, Connor Ronan. Women: Lucy McCartan, Roma McLaughlin, Amanda McQuillan. U17 men: Canice Carroll, Jayson Molumby, Declan Rice. Women: Sadhbh Doyle, Leanne Kiernan, Saoirse Noonan. U16 men: Aaron Bolger, Jordan Doherty, Lee O'Connor. Women: Megan Mackey, Carla McManus, Tyler Toland. U15: Sean Brennan, Adam Idah, Callum Thompson. Junior: David Hoban, Stephen Kelly, Danny O'Neill. Intermediate: Peter Doherty, Mark Horgan, Andy McNulty. Schools: Shane Hanney, Conor Kane, Conor McCarthy. Colleges/universities: Matthew Connor, George Poynton, Paul Rooney. Football for all: Luke Evans, John Farrell, Paul McMahon. SSE Airtricity League: Andy Boyle, Daryl Horgan, Sean Maguire. Special merit award: Dundalk FC.
