As Matt Green’s surrogate shirt sponsor I guess you could accuse me of bias, but I won’t accept that. I truly believe Matt is our third or fourth best player this campaign, his work rate is phenomenal and when it doesn’t come off he gets a lot of stick for it. If he’d bagged five or six goals through September, October and November he’d be in the running for the award, but he misses out perhaps by virtue of his bad patch and because both Neal Eardley and one other have been superb.

There’s one player I think might just challenge Neal Eardley for the Player of the Year, one player whom I voted for ahead of the former Blackpool man.

Michael Bostwick strode in as the marquee signing at the start of the season, starting out in midfield but filling in whenever called upon at centre back, before winning the hearts of everyone at Sincil Bank. He’s not only versatile, but incredibly strong in the tackle, good on the ball and a great organiser. When he missed one game, we got beat 1-0, such is his influence. He’s popped up with a vital goal too, another reflection of his all-round brilliance. How on earth could anyone beat him to the award?

Hang on, didn’t I write something similar on the last page?

Maybe picking between the two is purely down to preference. Eardley is more cultured, steadier on the ball and composed. At times, Bostwick is like a bull, charging in to tackles and occasionally over hitting a pass. It wouldn’t be fair though to class him as this wild creature in the middle of the park, because he’s got more restraint and composure than his style shows.

He was poised on a suspension for a couple of games, crucial games too, but it barely detracted from his role. He commented how he’d wound his tackling in a bit, taken the edge of it, but it didn’t have a visible detrimental effect on his all-round game. Behind that rough exterior is a thinking footballer, a man who has more to him than tough tackles and 100% record in aerial battles (that’s not fact by the way, but he rarely loses a header).

He flits between defence and midfield with such efficiency that you’re left wishing we had two of him. He’s a threat in both boxes, he’s strong and never pulls out of a challenge and he’s put pen to paper on a new deal quicker than anyone thought. I also like the air of mystery to him, the reluctance to do press conferences, even recording his interview when his new deal was unveiled. He’s different is Michael Bostwick, uniquely talented and reticent in equal measure.

It’s too late now, you’ve cast your votes and the engraver is already double checking the spelling of ‘Neal’, but to think it was a whitewash and a one-horse race is incredibly unfair one all three of the others mentioned here, but most of all on the beast himself, Mr Bostwick.

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