Sunderland AFC Ladies striker Beth Mead is thrilled after being crowned the Professional Footballers’ Association Women’s Young Player of the Year.

The 20-year-old was recognised by her fellow professionals on Sunday night.

Mead marked her debut season in FA Women’s Super League 1, England’s top-flight, by scoring 12 goals in 14 league games, making her the division’s top scorer.

Those goals guided Sunderland to a fourth-place finish and earned Mead a place in the PFA Women’s Team of the Year.

Mead said: “It’s a huge honour to be recognised by your peers and this award means a lot to me.

“It caps a really great year but I couldn’t have achieved any of this without my teammates and everybody at the club who have supported me and believed in me.”

Mead and the rest of her teammates are in home action this week when they host Manchester City in WSL1 action on Friday night.

The game at the Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground (Hetton Centre), kicks-off at 7.45pm on Friday, April 29. Tickets are available online or from turnstiles on the day of the game. See www.safc.com for full details.