Twigg named Player of the Month for April | Airtricity League

Twigg named Player of the Month for April

Shamrock Rovers' striker Gary Twigg has been chosen as the Soccer Writers' Association of Ireland Player of the Month Award for April.

Twigg said: "I'm delighted to win player of the month. You're judged on your goals and I scored a few goals in April but this is for the boys as they are the ones creating the chances for me.

"I had won player of the month in Scotland a couple of times but coming to a new league and getting it so early is a big honour."

Rovers collected 10 points from a possible 12 in their four league games in April with Twigg scoring all but one of their seven goals; he was given a well-earned rest for their EA Sports Cup victory over Kildare County.

Twigg, 25, started his senior career with Derby County and made his debut in the Premier League in a 1-1 draw against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in May 2002. Before leaving Pride Park he had made a further eight first-team appearances as well as enjoying loan spells with Burton Albion and Bristol Rovers.

He spent two productive years at Airdrie United before short spells with Oxford United and Hamilton Academicals prior to being signed by current Shamrock Rovers boss Michael O'Neill for the first time. He brought him to Brechin City last summer and, by the time he tempted him to try his luck in Ireland, he had scored 13 goals in 26 games for the Scottish Second Division side.

But his goals-per-game ratio for Rovers has been the best of his career; his late double against Bohemians in Saturday's Dublin derby - which clinched victory from the jaws of defeat and confirmed his legendary status at the club - brought his total to 10 goals in 12 league games.

Even O'Neill has been somewhat taken aback at the speed with which the Glaswegian has made his mark in the League of Ireland but believes that, providing he is managed properly having gone straight from a winter to a summer season, he can show further improvement.

O'Neill said: "I don't think any manager who brings a player into this league would expect that return in such a short space of time. But I knew quite quickly, having seen him in the first couple of games, that he would go on and do well.

"I knew when we took him to Brechin, that he was a player playing at a level that he shouldn't be playing at. Sometimes that happens to players in their career for one reason or another.

"Gary has embraced the whole challenge in coming here as if he is starting his career again and that's the pleasing aspect. People here have seen some fantastic moments from him but there's more to come I assure you."

If that proves to be the case, Twigg could go on to become the first foreign player to top the League of Ireland scoring charts since Cork Hibernians' Tony Marsden finished level with Alfie Hale of Waterford by netting 22 times in the 1971/72 season.

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