The Frenchman astonishingly won four honours at the prestigious evening, scooping the Fans’ Player of the Year, the Players’ Player, the SMS Fans’ Vote and the Community Icon awards.

Speaking about winning the Fans’ Player of the Year award, he said: “I’ve tried to work hard for the team, and the team is always the most important thing. This season I have enjoyed starting in every game. It hasn’t been all good, there have been times where we had to pick ourselves up, and go on, we had heavy defeats before we started on a good run. You have to pick yourself up and keep working hard on the training ground and a lot of things have changed and now we seem more confident, we have a lot of good players who have come into the team and it’s been a good season for me.”

Mawene just pipped Paul McKenna at the post for the SMS Fans’ Award sponsored by TravelWise, which is voted for by PNE supporters throughout the season by text message after each game. It was presented by Colette Fleming. Youl said: “McKenna, Cresswell or another could have got that. I think it’s very hard to give a grade out of ten for two players for a performance, very often it’s the whole team. I’m just happy that the fans recognised that I’m working hard for the team and that’s the most important thing.”

A new prize this year, the Community Icon Award sponsored by Total, presented by Steven Segall and PNE’s Playing For Success manager Sam O’Brien, was given to Youl because of his extensive work with people in the Preston area. He showed how much he cared about winning this award, and said: “To be honest I’ve been very welcome here so it’s a way to send back the welcome to the people of the community. I’ve been going to a lot of schools; I enjoy working with the children a lot. The kids love it, I love it, it’s just great for the whole community. It’s important that Preston [North End] take a bit part in what’s happening in town, we’re part of the city and we should take a lot of time for the community.”

The tough defender then won the Players’ Player Award sponsored by the Malcolm Woodhouse Group, presented by Malcolm Woodhouse Jnr., and was clearly a tad surprised: “I thought McKenna would have got that, I personally voted for him and Chris Lucketti. It’s so hard, it’s a squad of 11, 13, 15, 20 players, and everybody this season came in and did their thing, it’s been a good season and it’s great to pick up this award as well.”

Defender Alexander and midfielder McKenna made their 300th appearances at Deepdale against Gillingham and Brighton respectively at the start of April this year.

Graham Alexander said: “It was a total surprise, I didn’t know it was coming. Obviously it’s a great achievement for me personally, I’m so proud to have played 300 games for this club. To leave your mark at a club is great. Every game I play for this club is a pleasure because I’ve enjoyed every single minute of it.”

Prolific striker Richard Cresswell won the Goal of the Season award sponsored by Pete Marquis for his strike against Sheffield United in March. He said: “Everybody has put their bit into the team this year and it’s nice to get an award but the awards can go on hold because we’re not at the end of the season yet and we still have a long way to go to what we want to achieve.”

Rob and Margaret Cooke also won an award, the first ever Supporters of the Year John Tracey Memorial Award, which goes to the best fans of the year. The award was presented to the couple by John Tracey’s widow Christine, daughters Donna and Emma, and sister Sal. The couple, who run the Deepdale Bed and Breakfast in Ayr, Scotland, travel to every Preston home and away match, despite living north of the border! They said: “We’re over the moon, it was a big surprise.”