Manchester United midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the Barclays Player of the Month for December, with Bolton Wanderers boss Sam Allardyce claiming the Barclays Manager of the Month honour.
Cristiano Ronaldo: United winger first player in almost 10 years to collect back-to-back awardsThe Portugal international becomes the first player in almost 10 years to claim the award for a second month in a row after a fruitful end to 2006 which saw the 21-year-old score seven goals in just six Barclays Premiership appearances.
Ronaldo grabbed the goalscoring limelight with the third in United's 3-1 victory against neighbours Manchester City, two more in the 3-0 win at Aston Villa, and further braces in the home successes against Wigan Athletic (3-1) and Reading (3-2).
The gifted winger's magnificent seven took his tally for the season in the league to 12, where he now sits just a solitary goal behind Chelsea's Didier Drogba in the race for the Barclays Premiership Golden Boot.
He also becomes only the third player in Premier League history to win consecutive awards, and the first in almost a decade since Dennis Bergkamp picked up successive gongs in August and September 1997.
Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler was the only other player to achieve this feat in December 1995 and January 1996.
Jim Hytner, from the Barclays Awards Panel, said: “Ronaldo continued his fine form from November and said goodbye to 2006 in fantastic style.
"His pace, quick feet and eye for goal are proving to be a real handful for defences at the moment, as his return of seven goals from six games in December illustrates.”
