Danny Ings of Burnley, the Sky Bet Championship Player of the Year, said: “It’s crazy. I’ve not had much luck in the last couple of years with injuries but I’ve managed to turn that around this year to get myself fit and everything is going well so far.

“To be honest it has been crazy. Sam Vokes, my strike partner, has chipped in with a lot of goals too for a target man and our defence is one of the best defences in the league, our midfield too, the whole team has been fantastic. I could talk about them all night. We have such a good team ethic and we work hard for each other which is why we have been successful.

“Sean (Dyche) is a great manager. He is firm but fair and as long as you buy in to what he buys in to then you’re definitely going to get along. That comes down to hard work and all of our players are hard-working. Mix that with talent and you’ve got a powerful force.”

Speaking moments after being named Sky Bet League 2 Player of the Year, Gary Roberts said: “Obviously promotion with Chesterfield is the main aim this season, but it’s always nice to be recognised for the work that you are doing on the pitch.

“For me, it’s been one of the best years of my footballing career. I love playing for Chesterfield and I’m really enjoying my football.

“Being at the top of League 2 can be a bit nervy because everyone is trying to hunt you down and knock you off your perch, but we got a good win over Oxford United on Saturday to keep us in first and I scored two goals, so adding in this award it’s probably been one of the best weekends of my life.”

Contribution to League Football | John Bowler