St Patrick's Athletic striker Danny North has been named the Airtricity/Soccer Writers Association of Ireland Player of the Month for June.

The Airtricity/Soccer Writers Association of Ireland award was presented today to the Saints star by Jason Cooke, Head of Communications with Airtricity, at Richmond Park.

North ended the month with a penalty goal, the match-winner as the Saints took all three points against Bray Wanderers to move top of the Premier Division table.

Five days prior to that vital strike North netted in a 2-0 victory at Galway United as the Saints made it six victories from their last six away league games. Midway through the month the Saints jumped to second with North on the mark in a win over Dundalk at Oriel Park.

“All of the goals the team and I got in June were important, I suppose the one in Dundalk was a good one to get but so too was the strike against Bray”, recalled North.

There was also a solitary strike against Derry City as the Saints salvaged a point at Richmond Park, thanks to North’s guile.

North signed for the Saints in June 2010, made his first appearance the following month and bagged seven goals during the latter part of the 2010 campaign.

“I got the League 2 Player of the Month prize in England back in January 2008, and this is another terrific prize to get”, enthused North.

“After my last Player of the Month award my form dipped a little, so hopefully the same thing won’t happen again!”

Of late North and Daryl Kavanagh have been to the fore in attack, although the English born striker missed out on the first leg of their Europa League tie in Kazahkstan due to injury.

Ahead of Thursday’s game against Shakhter Karagandy in Inchicore, Grimsby native North is relishing a possible return to the fold.

“I flew back to Dublin on Monday and hopefully I’ll be fit enough to play a part in training in the build up to the game. Really, I’m dying to get going again in training”, said North.

Eleven months after David Mulcahy became the last St Pat’s player to land the prestigious prize, North was delighted to receive this accolade. However, he has little time to rest on his laurels.

“All our attention is focused on Thursday for sure, when I came to Ireland I knew that the club were ambitious about Europe, it was an added incentive for me”, concluded North.