Garath McCleary has been crowned Nottingham Forest's Player of the Year.

The winger topped a supporters' poll, beating Joel Lynch into second place and Chris Gunter into third, to land the prestigious award.

McCleary has thrived since Steve Cotterill's appointment as Reds boss and is top of the club's scoring charts with nine goals going into this afternoon's season finale against Portsmouth at The City Ground.

He bagged four of those goals in Forest's remarkable 7-3 win over Leeds at Elland Road - a feat that helped earn him the npower Championship Player of the Month award for March.

McCleary, who will be presented with his award by Cotterill before the Portsmouth game, said: "The most important thing from my perspective is the fact that we've managed to stay up after what has been a difficult season for everyone connected with the club.

"But to be recognised by the fans in this way is a huge honour and something I certainly never expected would happen when the season got underway.

"I was still on my way back from a knee operation and knew I faced a challenge to force my way into the side but I can't believe how well things have gone for me since the manager came in."



Meanwhile, Adlene Guedioura's super strike against Leeds has earned him the Forest Player Goal of the Season award, sponsored by Benoy.

The Algerian international kick-started Forest's Elland Road rout as he bagged their first goal in spectacular style from fully 30 yards out.

He revealed: "It's a great honour for me to win the award. I'm very grateful to the fans who voted for me - it's a special moment for me.

"As people will know I like to shoot from distance and on that occasion I got it right."

Guedioura will be presented with his award before this afternoon's game by Forest Player subscriber Rob Terrace from Doncaster, who himself wins a laptop and hospitality at today's game courtesy of Benoy.