29th August, 2023
Chuba Akpom has been named the PFA Championship Players’ Player of the Year for his exploits for Middlesbrough during the 2022/23 season.
Akpom saw off competition from Burnley’s Josh Brownhill, former Coventry striker Viktor Gyokeres, Carlton Morris of Luton, ex-Sheffield United star Iliman Ndiaye and Nathan Tella, who shone on loan at Turf Moor from Southampton last season.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Barry Bannan, Bristol Rovers star Aaron Collins, ex-Derby striker David McGoldrick and Plymouth’s Bali Mumba were also in the running for the prize.
However, today, fellow professionals believe Akpom was the star performer among the Championship ranks last season.
Akpom, who is now signed to Ajax, hit 28 goals for Boro in the league – and 29 in total – to land himself the Golden Boot and Michael Carrick’s side a place in the play-offs. That impressive haul included four braces and a hat-trick against Wigan on Boxing Day 2022.
On 4 March 2023, Akpom scored 2 goals in a 5–0 home win against Reading, in the process becoming the first Middlesbrough player to score 20 league goals in a season since Bernie Slaven in 1990.
On 19 April 2023 he scored in a 3–1 home win over Hull City, becoming the first player to score in nine successive home games in the second tier of English football.