Top Scorer Chuba Wins Championship Player of the Year for 2022-23

Top Scorer Chuba Wins Championship Player of the Year for 2022-23

By Gbenga Gboyega 

Chuba Amechi Akpom was honoured as the English Football League Championship Player of the Year for the 2022-23 campaign, at the glittering EFL awards that went down on Sunday evening at the iconic Grosvenor House Hotel in London. 

The 27-year-old striker who signed for Middlesbrough in the summer of 2020 from PAOK Salonika has enjoyed a stellar campaign in the Championship, as he sits comfortably atop the goals scorers chart with 28 goals and 2 assists from 35 games. 

On the 4th of March 2023, Akpom scored two goals in a 5–0 home win against Reading, becoming the first Middlesbrough player to score 20+ league goals in a season since Bernie Slaven in 1990 as per GazetteLive.UK.

Chuba also registered a goal in this season's FA Cup, scoring the only goal for his side in a 1-5 loss to Brighton and Hove Albion on the 7th of January, taking his season tally to 29 strikes (the highest in Championship level).

Despite hitting a setback at the start of the season, and not making the matchday squad for seven games between August and September 2022, Chuba wasted no time to hit the ground running, scoring a goal against Birmingham in the first week of October.

On Boxing day, Chuba gifted his side a hat-trick in a 4-1 home win against Wigan Athletic, going on to score braces of goals in three of his seven games played between March and April this year. His prowess in front of goal has propelled Middlesbrough 

After receiving the award, Chuba expressed his gratitude for the recognition of his efforts and opportunity to star for Boro, who have somewhat secured their promotion playoff spot via fourth position on the Sky Bet Championship log. 

“I am super grateful. It has been years of hard work to get to this stage, so I am over the moon. It’s been an amazing season, but I’ve had a lot of downs, getting injured earlier in the season. The new manager came in at the perfect time, and he probably brought out the best in me, put me in the number 10, and I’ve been enjoying it ever since.”

The POTY award feels well deserved for the Arsenal recruit, and a sign of more accolades to come barring any unforseen and unfavorable circumstances, with his current contract with Middlesbrough expiring in the summer.