Irish underage internationals Aaron Connolly, Will Smallbone and Adam Idah have all been nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Season.

The Premier League’s Football Development panel nominated nine players in total. Players were selected for their performances not only at youth level in competitions such as PL2, the PL Cup, the PL International Cup and the EFL Trophy, but also for their respective senior teams.

Highly touted Aaron Connolly scored 11 goals for Brighton & Hove Albion as they finished third in PL2 Division 1, while he also netted five times in the EFL Trophy, before going out on loan to Luton Town. Adam Idah scored 12 goals in PL2 Division 2 while Will Smallbone was a stand-out player for Southampton in their drive to the Division 2 playoff final.


The other players on the shortlist are Everton duo Bassala Sambou and Morgan Feeney, Liverpool’s Rafael Camacho, Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah, Newcastle’s Elias Sorensen and Reading’s Daniel Loade.