Hartson wins Welsh honour

Jason Brown, Rob Earnshaw and John Hartson were all honoured

Celtic striker John Hartson has been named Wales Footballer of the Year.

It is the second time in three years - and the third overall - that the 28 year-old Swansea-born striker has won the accolade.

"Obviously I am delighted and honoured, but this has been a magnificent squad performance to get us to where we are now," Hartson said.

Hartson has played a crucial part in the Welsh push for a place at the Euro 2004 finals with three goals in seven qualifying games and eight in his last 20 internationals.

With the Carling FAW Player of the Year Awards over, Hartson will head Wales' attack against Serbia & Montenegro in Cardiff on Saturday in their final Euro 2004 qualifying pool match.

While automatic qualification looks to have gone, unless Azerbaijan can produce a miracle in Italy, Wales are guarranteed a place in the play-offs.

We have come this far so we want to take it one more step Wales striker John Hartson

"I do not believe we have disappointed anyone," Hartson added. "To have pushed a team like Italy as hard as we have, to be the fourth seeds in the group and finish second, that has been outstanding.

"People should be delighted, I know the players are. We all have high expectations and we want to do even better.

"There is a lot of hard work still to go, we have come this far so we want to take it one more step."

The Young Player of the Year award went to Gillingham goalkeeper Jason Brown while Cardiff's Robert Earnshaw was named Clubman of the Year.

Former Wrexham manager Alvan Williams received a merit award - as did ex-Spurs defender Mel Hopkins, who played in the 1958 World Cup finals side as well as the 1961 Tottenham double winning team.

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