Chelsea's Lewis Bate has been named December 2020's Premier League 2 Player of the Month.
The 18-year-old played in a key role in Chelsea winning all three of their matches in the month, defeating Leicester City 2-1 and beating Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 before rounding off the year with an emphatic 6-1 victory over Manchester United.
The midfielder played every minute as the PL2 defending champions moved to the top of the Division 1 table.
"I was shocked when I found out just because of the level of competition there was among the nominations," Bate told the club's official website.
"To beat those players to the award is a special feeling and I know there have been great players to have won it in the past. I’m over the moon."
Bate topped a seven-man shortlist that also featured team-mate Faustino Anjorin, Folarin Balogun (Arsenal), Harry Chapman, Brad Lyons (both Blackburn Rovers), Nathan Tella (Southampton) and Harvey White (Spurs).
The England Under-18 international was chosen as the winner by the Premier League Football Development Panel.
2020/21 PL2 award winners
September: Sam Greenwood (LEE)
October: Cole Palmer (MCI)
November: Liam Delap (MCI)
December: Lewis Bate (CHE)