The announcement was made at the 2010 Football League Awards incorporating FourFourTwo’s Top 50 Football League Players at Grosvenor House, Park Lane on Sunday March 14 in front of more than 850 attendees from clubs, sponsors and representatives of the football industry.
The 18-year-old defender is ranked 17th in FourFourTwo’s Top 50 Football League Players list, making him the highest under-21 representative ahead of Nottingham Forest's Paul Anderson and Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana.
Past winners of the award include Fabian Delph, Michael Kightly, Gareth Bale and David Nugent.
The Stockwell-born attacking full-back continues to shine at Selhurst Park in a season blighted by off-field frustrations for the South London side.
A product of the club’s youth system after arriving from Tottenham Hotspur, Clyne has since made 45 league appearances for the Eagles, scoring once in a 4-2 win at Reading in December.
“It is very pleasing as there are a lot of young players out there playing first-team football. I’m very happy,” Clyne – who reportedly rejected a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers last month – says in the April issue of FourFourTwo magazine, in shops Monday.
And the England U19 international, who has represented his country on three occasions, paid tribute to former manager Neil Warnock – now at QPR following Palace’s move into administration – for handing him the opportunity to perform on the big stage.
“He gave me my first-team debut and I owe a lot for that opportunity. He gave me a lot of confidence to perform out on the field.”
The full interview with Clyne, plus additional exclusive one-on-ones with Kevin Nolan, Graham Dorrans, Jermaine Beckford, Craig Dawson, Lee Camp, Robbie Savage, Lee Hughes, Grant Holt and Rickie Lambert and the full rundown of the Top 50 Football League Players can be found in the April issue of FourFourTwo magazine – out Monday.
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