Romaine Sawyers missed out on being named the Sky Bet Championship player of the month for December as Derby County goalkeeper Scott Carson won the gong.
Goalkeepers are rarely honoured at monthly awards and the former England international is only the third Championship stopper to win the award.
Lee Camp and Adam Federici are the other two to claim the gong since 2004. In the Premier League, there have been nine occasions when a goalkeeper claimed the award.
Carson showcased his outstanding shot-stopping ability throughout the month with vital saves in each of the five games in which he kept clean sheets and preserved points for his side. One brilliant save against Millwall took the breath away.
Derby manager Gary Rowett said: “Yeah, Scott has had a fantastic season so far and certainly had a very good December.
“I’m sure he’d be the first to say that the team as a whole has defended really well and to concede only one goal is a real team effort.
“But within that he’s made, probably, one big save every game and he’s made that big save at a crucial moment that has made sure that we’ve gone on to win those games comfortably.
“He’s had a really strong season, his attitude to training has been fantastic, he’s an incredibly hard working goalkeeper day to day, which you don’t see but for me his performances on a Saturday are just a by-product of the fact his mentality in the week is so strong.”
Carson said: “It’s something I’m really proud of. It’s a trophy I’ve never had in my career, so I’m very honoured to get it and hopefully I can continue my form.
“A lot of it was down to the whole team, the whole squad, we’ve been working really hard pressing the ball and the defenders have been putting their bodies on the line with headers, blocks and the award just proves how good a unit we’ve been.
“It’s been easier for me physically because I don’t have to run around and do 10km every game, and it’s more of a mental thing for goalkeepers, making sure you’re fully focused on the games.”
