Former Alex skipper and current winger shortlisted
PLAYER OF YEAR SHORTLISTS CONFIRMED FOR NORTHWEST FOOTBALL AWARDS
THE voting has closed and the search for the winners of 2013 Northwest Football Award is nearly over.
Certainly, excitement is building ahead of a glittering Awards ceremony at Lancashire County Cricket Club's The Point Conference Centre on November 4.
A hectic final burst of polling enabled organisers to finalise their short lists for player of the year categories in the Premier League, Championship, League One, League Two and Conference.
In addition, five of the game's brightest talents remain in contention to be crowned the North West's 'Rising Star.'
Firstly though to the top flight where it's a Manchester-Liverpool shootout to succeed Liverpool's Martin Skrtel.
The four strong short list is: Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City) and Leighton Baines (Everton).
In the Championship, it's a three-way fight between: Jay Spearing (Bolton), Tom Ince (Blackpool), Jordan Rhodes (Blackburn).
Three players are still in the running in League One: Jose Baxter (Oldham, now Sheffield United), Luke Murphy (Crewe, now Leeds United) and John Welsh (Preston).
In League Two, where voting was tighter than in any other division, the quartet left standing are: Lee Molyneux (Accrington Stanley-now Crewe), Scott Davies (Fleetwood Town), Jason Kennedy (Rochdale-now Bradford) and Jack Redshaw (Morecambe).
It's back to three for Conference player of the year: George Horan (Chester City), Peter Winn (Macclesfield Town) and Shaun Whalley (Southport-now Luton Town).
Blackpool's Tom Ince is the only non Premier League starlet in the running to become 2013 'Rising Star.' Opposing him are: Jerome Sinclair (Liverpool), Ben Pearson (Manchester United), Marcos Lopes (Manchester City) and Everton's Ross Barkley.
BBC TV's Football Focus host, Dan Walker, will compere the Awards to be broadcast live on BBC Radio Lancashire, BBC Radio Manchester and BBC Radio Merseyside.
To find out shortlists for all awards including: women’s player of the year, unsung hero, community club of the year and many morewww.northwestfootballawards.comvisit the official Northwest Football Awards website for