Adam Matthews has won the Championship Manager Apprentice of the Year award at the 2010 Football League Awards incorporating FourFourTwo's Top 50 Football League Players.
Adam received the award at a gala dinner at Grosvenor House, Park Lane on Sunday evening in front of 900 attendees from clubs, sponsors and the football industry.
Adam joined Cardiff City at eight years of age and has gone on to make a significant impact for the club both on and off the pitch, including seeing him representing The Football League at 10 Downing Street and delivering a speech to Gordon Brown. On the pitch his talents have caught the eye of many in the game. At 16, Adam was named Football Association of Wales Trust player of the year and on his 17th birthday he signed his first professional contract, going on to establish himself in the Cardiff first team.
City manager Dave Jones said: "Congratulations to Adam. Chris Gunter has also won this award in recent years, and that's a fabulous achievement for a small club like ours. We've won the award again so well done to Adam, well done to the Academy staff and Steve Ellis on the education side because that is a big part of this club. It shows that we are moving in the right direction.
"Adam is a young player learning his trade, he's an under-21 international close maybe to breaking into the full Wales squad. He's still got a long, long way to go but to win this award against all the people who have been put up for it is a fantastic achievement.
"We know Adam has a bright future at this club so well done to him. He's had a fantastic season - he broke into our first team and into the Wales under-21 squad and now won apprentice of the year."
Adam said: "I'm very proud to win this award. I've been at Cardiff since I was very young and come through an excellent Academy set-up, and it's been great to get into the first team this season. Now I can hopefully help us finish in the Play-Offs this season and go on to bigger and better things with the club."
Geraint Twose (Assistant Academy manager) sums up Adam as "a shining example to every young player on how to perform on the pitch, and also how to behave off the pitch. Adam not only has the ability, but also the drive to improve, this is hopefully only the beginning of a successful career in football, and one which all the players and staff at the Academy are already very proud of."
Football League Awards judge Craig Tregurtha of The Times echoed Twose's praise for Adam and said; "Adam stood out among some very impressive candidates. His attitude off the pitch is excellent, he is very successful academically and clearly has earned huge respect from his peers."
