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Joe Allen has thanked fans for their votes and for their support after being named the Stoke City footballer of the year at last night's Sentinel/City of Stoke-on-Trent Sports Personality of the Year Awards.

Allen was honoured at a packed King’s Hall in Stoke after picking up the Sir Stanley Matthews Trophy by topping a poll of fans.

The Welsh international was a clear winner after shining more than most during Stoke’s miserable relegation campaign.

So miserable, in fact, that the club decided against an official player-of-the-year poll and cancelled the traditional end-of-season awards night.

Allen, who was unable to make the awards in person, sent a video message instead and was quick to praise supporters for sticking with the players during last season’s various trials and tribulations before relegation was finally confirmed after the penultimate game of 2017/18.

“We are hugely grateful, considering the season we have had,” said Allen.

(Image: Getty)

“This is a club with supporters who’ve been used to seeing the club in the Premier league for a decade.

“To still have the support we’ve had has been incredible. I think it speaks volumes about the fans here.”

He added that it was only fair that players like himself apologised for failing to prolong Stoke’s 10-year stay in the Premier League.

“We are sorry as players because we haven’t been able to deliver,” he stated. “It hasn’t been good enough and I think they deserve better.

“It’s a thank you and now we are going to plead with them to stick with us because we are going to need them more than ever and I’m sure they are going to be a big part of getting this club back up to the Premier League.”

(Image: Getty)

Whether Allen sticks with Stoke is still up in the air and depends on what offers drop on Stoke’s desk this summer, but he has already insisted he will seriously consider remaining for a third season at the club.

Allen was presented with the trophy ahead of last night’s gala dinner by Nigel Johnson, until recently the chairman of the Sir Stanley Matthews Foundation, and he said he was honoured to receive an award in the great man’s name.

“First of all, thank you very much. It’s a huge honour to get this,” said Allen.

“Obviously It’s been a disappointing season, but thank you for this, it means a lot to me.

“He’s a huge name at this club, but not just that, he’s a huge name in world football, a very famous name that you hear a lot as a young footballer.

“For him to keep going until he was 50 years old is obviously something you don’t get these days. If I can get within a decade of that, I’ll take it.”

Allen’s future will be among the first priorities for new boss Gary Rowett to deal with when he returns from holiday to begin dismantling and re-assembling the squad which took Stoke down.