Liam Boyce wins Football Writers Player of the Year award

Cliftonville striker Liam Boyce has completed a memorable season by winning the Northern Ireland Football Writers' Player of the Year Award in Belfast.

Boyce held off the challenge of Reds team-mates Conor Devlin and George McMullan to secure the main prize, and also picked up the Golden Boot Award.

Devlin was named Young Player of the Year and Tommy Breslin was selected as Manager of the Year.

Goalkeeper Roy Carroll was chosen as International Personality of the Year.

Boyce, 22, scored 36 goals in all competitions during the season to end as the top scorer in the Irish League's top flight.

Devlin won the Young Player vote ahead of Portadown's Darren Murray and Josh Robinson of Crusaders.

Boyce, Devlin and McMullan were all included in the Team of the Year, alongside Marc Smyth (Cliftonville), David Magowan (Crusaders), Craig McClean (Crusaders), Barry Johnston (Cliftonville), Ryan Catney (Cliftonville), Declan Caddell (Crusaders) and Paul Heatley (Crusaders).

Breslin came out as top manager in a category which saw Glentoran's Eddie Patterson and Whitey Anderson of Ballinamallard also nominated.

Ards will be playing back in the Premiership next season after gaining promotion from the Championship and the north Down club had another reason to celebrate with their captain James Cully winning the vote over Dundela hotshot Ben Roy and Warrenpoint's John Boyce to claim the Championship Player of the Year accolade.

The International award went to rejuvenated goalkeeper Carroll, who at 35, has helped his club Olympiakos win a domestic double in Greece, along with producing excellent displays back between the posts for his country.

Aberdeen winger Niall McGinn and Manchester United defender were also in the running for that award.

The Football Writers named departing Northern Ireland under-18 manager Bob Ramsey as their Merit Award winner in recognition of a lifetime contribution to youth football in the country.

Malcolm Brodie and Alan McDonald were posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame, which is now named in honour of Dr Brodie.