Four Donegal players have been included among the nominees for the 2016 ‘Three’ FAI International Football Awards ahead of the awards ceremony on Sunday night.
The awards are televised by RTE and are held at the RTE Studios.
Seamus Coleman, Roma McLaughlin, Tyler Toland and Peter Doherty have all been nominated in their respective categories as players of the year, but each faces stiff competition, while Shane Duffy – who qualifies through his Donegal-born parents – is also nominated for an award.
Coleman is nominated alongside Robbie Brady and Jeff Hendrick for the Senior International Player of the Year. The Killybegs man took a lead role during Euro 2016 and has graduated to become Martin O’Neill’s captain.
Greencastle woman McLaughlin made her senior debut in 2016, but it is in the Women’s Under-19 section that she is nominated.
McLaughlin is in her final year with the Under-19s and recently signed for Shelbourne at club level. The midfielder has really risen through the ranks and 2016 was a massive year for her.
The same was true of Toland, the St Johnston woman who is making waves in the green. Toland, who is this week in Serbia with the Under-17 team, is nominated for the International Under-16 Women’s Player of the Year award.
Cockhill Celtic’s Doherty is nominated for the Intermediate Player of the Year gong following his displays for the Ulster Senior League representative side at the Intermediate Interprovincials in Cork.
Duffy, meanwhile, is listed among the nominees for Young International Player of the Year and, like Coleman, faces competition from Brady and Hendrick.
This year’s ceremony – which will be the 27th overall – has been extended to an hour and a half with live coverage on RTE2 from 20:00, where the nominees will be joined by special guests and the Republic of Ireland men’s senior squad.
The recipients of the ‘Hall of Fame’ and ‘International Personality’ awards will be revealed on the night of the ceremony, while Dundalk FC have been selected as winners of the ‘Special Merit Award’ following their terrific season in 2016.
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