Non-League Player of the Year left feeling on cloud nine
Having played a central part in one of the most dominant teams in English football this season, including a 12-game winning streak to end the campaign, the former Scunthorpe and Boston United man was left bursting with joy after receiving his well-deserved accolade.
'It's an honour to win this award,' said Elliott. 'It's brilliant to be here and to end a brilliant season with some accolades means a lot. It's an honour. There are a lot of good players across Step 3 and Step 4 so it is brilliant to win this award and I really appreciate it.
'There's a great buzz around the club. We won the league mid-March and finished with 12 wins in a row so there was a real togetherness with the club.
'It is a brilliant place to be and I'm looking forward to next season as well.
'Robbie's a big character. He has his ways but I really enjoy him, he is approachable and we can speak to him. You can give him your opinion and he'll listen.
'He knows when to put his arm around somebody and when to shout and he has managed me well, especially when my confidence was low and wasn't scoring at first.'
The National Game Awards is a celebration of the non-League season - highlighting the community, fans, on-field, and off-field successes of the game outside of the Football League.
The ceremony is held annually by the Non-League Paper, the UK's number one selling football title and the best place for your non-league news, with this year's edition hosted at Plough Lane – home of AFC Wimbledon.
Elliott added: 'There are a lot of good players in non-league. I've played in different steps in Non-League and in League 2 as well and it's really important to celebrate them and the place that football plays in the community across the country.
'It's vital to celebrate non-league and the clubs, players and the fans. It's a brilliant part of our culture."
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Temba Bavuma's gutsy fightback shows South Africa's never-say-die spirit
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Thomas Frank has TEN priorities to sort at Tottenham: Big decisions to be made over six key players... and the one star he could bring Brentford
Thomas Frank arrives at Tottenham as the euphoria fades after the club's first trophy in 17 years and the first in Europe for 41, but there is still plenty to do. This is not Arne Slot swanning into Liverpool and tweaking a little bit here and there. There is lots for him to get stuck into as he makes the step up from Brentford into the glare that accompanies one of England's most illustrious clubs. Harness the spirit of Bilbao… With the long wait finally over, Frank's primary task is to ensure Spurs build on the Europa League win and do not allow the feelgood factor to slide away with Ange Postecoglou. That's both in terms of the mood among fans and inside the training ground. At 51, and with nearly 30 years of coaching behind him, Frank is mature enough to appreciate Postecoglou's achievement and not plunge in and tear it all up in an impatient scramble to impose his own ideas. Among his strengths are common sense, pragmatism and adaptability. He understands the landscape. He knows what works in English football and he fits a similar profile to the two most successful managerial appointments made in 24 years by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy. Harry Redknapp and Mauricio Pochettino both moved up to Tottenham having over-achieved in the Premier League. Redknapp at West Ham and Portsmouth. Pochettino at Southampton. Some Spurs players might have been sorry to see Postecoglou go but the idea the dressing room will be distraught is unrealistic. They are professional footballers, they know the score and they will soon move on to figuring out if the new boss will be good or bad for them. Collective success is one of the great binding agents in sport. Postecoglou was popular because he forged the spirit that led them to the trophy and Frank can use this to his advantage if he is smart, which he is. His interpersonal skills are admired. He likes to foster close relationships with his players. He will soon find the way to connect. Early messages to fans will have to be pitched carefully, too, but he is an excellent communicator. Expect to see him praising Postecoglou for his work and promising to build on the foundations. Don't lose the flair… When he was promoted with Brentford in 2021, Frank prioritised three things: to be defensively tight, super fit and threaten from set pieces. This they did. They were big, physically imposing, aggressive in and out of possession and carried an aerial threat. They roughed up some of the elite clubs and survived despite one of the lowest budgets. Spurs are not newly promoted or low budget but after the wild inconsistencies of last season could do worse than adopt some of these basics for next season. They have been beset by injuries, fragile at the back and nothing special at set pieces for two years. At the same time, to lose the flair would be the fast lane to losing the fans, many of whom were disappointed to see Postecoglou sacked despite winning the Europa League. Frank must quickly strike a balance as he did last season when Brentford added new layers to their style. They were less direct, played out from the back, and increased their share of possession although it was still typically less than 50 per cent. They became more creative, had more efforts at goal and scored more. And remained excellent on set-pieces at both ends, spirited and tough to beat. There is plenty of adventure in the Tottenham squad, but two of the most creative players, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, are recovering from serious knee injuries. Kulusevski is expected to miss the start of the new season and Maddison's preseason could be delayed. Find the right tactical plan… Frank is not a coach wed to a strict tactical philosophy. The opposite, in fact. His past shows he can assess the capabilities of a squad and forge a plan to get the best from it. He is adaptable and flexible, but once he weighs it all up, his teams are well-drilled and organised. They know what they are trying to do. At Brentford, he has deployed a back four (4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3) and a back three (3-4-3) and often flexing from a back four into a back three when in possession, releasing one full back more readily than the other with an aim to disrupt and overload opponents. This was effective with Keane Lewis-Potter and Kristoffer Ajer as his full backs and it is easy to envisage with Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven in similar roles. Van de Ven has all the attributes to play the Ajer role on the left of a back four but as one of Tottenham's bigger stars, will it be easy to dislodge him from the centre of defence? Probably not. Postecoglou's high defensive line is not likely to survive a summer of change. Nor the inverted full backs. Up front, Frank likes pace to enable a quick counterattack and will find plenty of that at his disposal from speed merchants like Heung-min Son, Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson. He would love to bring in Bryan Mbeumo, who looks set to leave Brentford, but the proposed £270,000 a week reportedly on offer at Manchester United would smash the current wage structure at Spurs. Johnson and Archie Gray, incidentally, were both set to sign for Brentford when their heads were turned by a move to North London. Midfielders with the defensive acumen to provide protection might be harder to come by. Yves Bissouma, with only one year on his contract, is a players Spurs were ready to sell if the price was right. Gray and Lucas Bergvall are talented but young and this is an area of the pitch where they realise there is a need to improve and where Frank will want more physical power. Son Heung-min… The biggest of the big decisions. The captain and commercial star of Spurs is 33 next month with only a year left on his contract. He did not seem keen to sign a new, extended deal before his latest one-year extension clause was triggered. Nor has his form been particularly good. Chairman Levy will be opposed to the idea of Son walking out on a free next year. If genuine interest emerges from Saudi Arabia, then it makes sense to consider selling. Ultimately, it should be a decision for the new boss. Can Frank see a key role in the team for Son? If not, does he feel strongly about keeping him in the dressing room to lead standards and using him more sparingly? Or is it time to bid him farewell and let him pocket a small fortune in Saudi or the USA? A few more big decisions… Bissouma is not the only established player facing uncertainty. Cristian Romero is keen on a move to Atletico Madrid and, with two years on his contract, it makes sense to sell and generate transfer funds. As with Son and Bissouma, the sooner these things are sorted out the better. There is no sense in keeping a disgruntled senior player if his heart is set on leaving. Kevin Danso's loan move from Lens has been made permanent, although, with Radu Dragusin out since January and still on his way back from a cruciate knee injury, Frank could do with reinforcements in central defence. It might provide the chance to sign someone who knows how he works, such as Nathan Collins, a centre-half who has grown in stature since his £23million move from Wolves to Brentford in 2023. Ben Davies is ready to leave in search of regular football. Wrexham are among those interested but Spurs triggered the clause for his contract to be extended by one more year and will want a fee. There is an option to sign Mathys Tel for £45m from Bayern Munich after his six months on loan. There have been reports Levy is trying to renegotiate the fee after Tel's underwhelming form while Bayern are not in a hurry to sell and it could all end with another loan deal. Hopefully, Frank will have some say. His background in youth development is an attraction for Tottenham as they follow a recruitment strategy to sign young players and improve them. Others on the periphery, coming into the club or returning from loan spells for the new boss to assess include Mikey Moore, Jamie Donley, Ashley Phillips, Alfie Dorrington, Luka Vuskovic, George Abbott and Yang Min-Hyeok. And one more, in goal… As a coach obsessed with set pieces, Frank will have analysed the perceived weaknesses of Guglielmo Vicario, including his inability to take control in the crowds at corners and free kicks. Vicario, one of Tottenham's few vocal leaders in the dressing room and a big personality has been prone to mistakes since his return from injury last season. Perhaps this is down to disruption in defence and his confidence could benefit if Frank moulds the team to give him more protection, with a deeper defensive line and less time with the ball at his feet. It will be interesting to see if he is prepared to back Vicario as the number one or turn to Antonin Kinsky or demand another new 'keeper. Recruitment strategy… Many years have passed since Frank and Johan Lange, Tottenham's technical director, worked together as coaches at Lyngby but they are expected to click back into a good working relationship. There will be similarities between Lange's studious data-led style and those at Brentford, another data-first club with a heavy Danish influence. Frank will expect to have his views heard but is accustomed to working with the players delivered by an effective recruitment process. At Spurs, however, it is a very different culture to Brentford and there are other forces at play. For one, they are expected to show more ambition in the market. Their target, despite only four major trophies in four decades, must be to win things on a regular basis. They must be careful not to simply become a club who buy promising talent to train on and sell for profit. They are very low on experience and leadership, and this will become more important if they are competing for big prizes. Another factor is always the conflicting interests. Levy likes to be central to the process, and the influence of former managing director Fabio Paratici, nearing the end of a FIFA ban, remains strong. Both have preferred agents and trade in favours. It is drastically different to Brentford's holistic culture and mastering this minefield has proved impossible for several of Frank's predecessors. Prepare for the Champions League… One glaring omission on the Frank resume is a lack of competitive experience in Europe. He took Brondby into the Europa League, although with little success. The first campaign ended at the first hurdle, beaten 5-0 on aggregate by Bruges. The second made it through three qualifying rounds before a 6-1 aggregate defeat against PAOK in the play-off tie. Combining the demands of the Premier League, two domestic knockout cups and the expectations to deliver an adventurous style of football while playing European football is arguably the toughest challenge. Postecoglou could not solve the puzzle with a squad lacking depth and there is a chance they will lose vital international experience if Romero and/or Son leave. The Champions League is a tougher challenge than the Europa League, with stronger opponents, greater emotional strain and fewer opportunities to rest, rotate and blood youngsters. There's a small compensation by way of an end to the gruelling Thursday-Sunday cycle. Build the backroom staff… Much of the discussion and delay after striking a deal with Frank has revolved around who can join him from Brentford. And how much will that cost Spurs. Postecoglou was an anomaly, but head coaches always want their own staff to help them instil their culture and beliefs. Frank always said 'the secret sauce is the people' when impressing what made Brentford tick and he would be keen to bring Claus Norgaard, his trusted Danish sidekick, and Justin Cochrane, a highly rated young coach who worked previously on Tottenham's academy staff, across London with him. His commitment to the power of set pieces means he will want a dedicated coach to work on them, whether that is Keith Andrews, who is one year into that role at Brentford, or someone else. Spurs have fired coaches Nick Montgomery, Sergio Raimundo and Mile Jedinak, but intend to keep Postecoglou's assistant Matt Wells and goalkeeping coach Rob Burch at the club. Finalise preseason preparation… Frank will be eager to start work. He usually takes a week to tie up loose ends at the end of a season, then a week or two on holiday before throwing himself back into summer planning. Tottenham have preseason friendlies in the calendar against Arsenal in Hong Kong and Newcastle in South Korea, in July, and one in Munich against Bayern in August before the UEFA Super Cup against PSG in Italy, three days before the Premier League kicks off.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Tottenham CONFIRM Thomas Frank as new manager after paying £10m to Brentford to replace axed Ange Postecoglou
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TOTTENHAM have confirmed Thomas Frank as their new manager. The Dane, 51, replaces Ange Postecoglou, who was axed just 16 days after winning the Europa League with Spurs. 7 Thomas Frank has left Brentford to join Tottenham Credit: Getty 7 Ange Postecoglou was sacked by Spurs 16 days after winning the Europa League Credit: Getty Tottenham quickly identified Brentford boss Frank as their primary target following Postecoglou's dismissal. Spurs have paid around £10million in compensation for Frank, who has signed a contract until 2028. SunSport revealed at the weekend that Frank had given the move the green light before Tottenham had even formally approached Brentford. The switch took time to be completed due to negotiations over backroom staff - specifically highly-rated head of coaching Justin Cochrane. The Bees wanted to keep the 43-year-old and were even prepared to consider him as a candidate to take over from Frank. But Cochrane, who previously worked as a youth coach at Spurs, has decided to leave the G-tech to join Frank as his assistant, along with head of performance Chris Haslam and analyst Joe Newton. Set-piece specialist Andreas Georgson arrives from Manchester United as a first-team coach. Cochrane is also a coach with England and has been working alongside Thomas Tuchel over the past week - and FA sources are expecting him to continue in that role. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Spurs confirmed the appointment in a statement, which read: "Thomas has extensive experience in English football having joined Brentford in 2016 - since becoming one of the longest-serving current managers in the Premier League. "During his time at Brentford he transformed the Club, moving them up from the Championship to an established Premier League side, consistently and significantly outperforming expectations for an extended period of time. Ange Postecoglou's BEST Press Conference Moments 7 "In Thomas we are appointing one of the most progressive and innovative head coaches within the game. "He has a proven track record in player and squad development and we look forward to him leading the team as we prepare for the season ahead." Frank took over at Brentford in 2018 after two years as assistant. He guided them to the Premier League in his second full season, and has since established them in the top flight. Under Frank's astute management, the Bees achieved a tenth placed finish last term. Brentford finished seven places and a whopping 18 points above Postecoglou's Spurs. The Aussie boss saw Tottenham fall all the way to 17th in the Premier League. But his sacking still raised several eyebrows due to his Europa League triumph in Bilbao. Despite ending Spurs' 17-year trophy drought, securing Champions League qualification in the process, Postecoglou was axed 16 days on from beating Manchester United in the Europa League final. 7 Frank, 51, will now have an opportunity to manage in Europe Credit: Alamy 7 Justin Cochrane makes the move to N17 with Thomas Frank Credit: Getty 7 Postecoglou, 59, was axed despite ending Spurs' 17-year wait for a trophy Credit: Alamy An excerpt of Spurs' statement read: "Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw. "However, the Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place. "Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. "This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season. At times there were extenuating circumstances - injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. "Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the Club's greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph." 7 Spurs yesterday today that Postecoglou's assistant coaches Mile Jedinak, Nick Montgomery and Sergio Raimundo have all left. Ryan Mason has already left to take the reins at West Brom, but Ange's No2 Matt Wells and goalkeeping coach Rob Burch remain at Spurs. FRANK 'PERFECT' FOR SPURS Frank's move comes after nearly seven years with Brentford. During that time, the Dane managed Christian Eriksen for a successful six months in 2022 before the 33-year-old midfielder joined Manchester United. Eriksen, who spent seven seasons at Spurs between 2013-2020, said: 'Thomas is the right coach for Tottenham. 'I had Thomas at various times and I think he is the perfect match for Tottenham. It would be great if he takes on that challenge. 'His personality, his way of playing and his way of being make him a good fit. 'And the club, considering where they were last season - they won a trophy of course - but they are in the process of building something and I am sure that Thomas is a good man to bring in.' Eriksen's link-up with Frank three years ago saw him return to football seven months after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch playing for Denmark at the delayed Euro 2020. He moved on to United the following summer, but is leaving Old Trafford following three years there. The 144-cap Denmark star has stated he fancies a new challenge away from England, feeling he has 'had my turn' in the Premier League.
