Elias Sorensen has won the 2019 Wor Jackie award.
The honour is given to Newcastle’s young player of the year, and the Danish striker received the trophy on Thursday night. Defender Liam Gibson was also honoured, winning the Jack Hixon trophy, given to the Magpies’ most promising youngster.
This season has been massive for Sorensen, who was scoring for fun for the Under-23 side earlier in the campaign. There were calls for the youngster to make his first-team debut, but Rafa Benitez didn’t give in to temptation.
Instead, Sorensen has been sent out on loan to League One side Blackpool, but has struggled for minutes.
This is a difficult spell for the striker, but the award will no doubt have boosted his spirits. However, winning the Wor Jackie award does not guarantee success.
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Sorensen must not rest on his laurels
While winning the award will mean a lot to him, the history books show that it doesn’t mean he will become a success at the club.
You have to go back to 2007 to find the last Wor Jackie winner who made a real impact on the first-team.
Andy Carroll won it that year, having already made his debut in 2006 against Palermo in the UEFA Cup. Carroll went on to become the club’s number nine, scoring 31 league goals before a big money move to Liverpool.
The West Ham man should be Sorensen’s inspiration, as he must also dream of donning the number nine jersey.
Out of the last 12 Wor Jackie winners prior to Sorensen, only three are still at the club. Dan Barlaser and Rolando Aarons are out on loan, while Freddie Woodman is third choice goalkeeper behind Martin Dubravka and Karl Darlow.
Out of the other nine winners, only the previously mentioned Carroll is a Premier League player.
Sorensen can certainly be a hit at Newcastle, but his recent award does not guarantee that. He must buck the trend.