Cliftonville and Linfield dominate NI Football Awards Premiership Team of the Year

Champions Linfield and league runners-up Cliftonville dominate this year’s NI Football Awards Premiership Team of the Year.

Glentoran, Crusaders and Coleraine are also represented in the line-up which was selected by members of the Northern Ireland Football Writers’ Association and Danske Bank Premiership managers.

Linfield, who won a fourth straight league title last weekend, are represented by goalkeeper Chris Johns, defender Jimmy Callacher and influential midfielder Chris Shields.

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Despite finishing a point below David Healy’s Blues in the title race, Paddy McLaughlin's Cliftonville have four players in the line-up.

Defenders Jonny Addis and Levi Ives are joined by Jamie McDonagh and Ryan Curran who scored 24 goals in all competitions.

Glentoran duo Jay Donnelly and Conor McMenamin are also included as are Coleraine defender Lyndon Kane and Crusaders midfielder Ben Kennedy.

Kennedy, who scored 15 goals and assisted in 13 goals in all competitions across the campaign, helped Stephen Baxter’s men lift the Irish Cup in Saturday’s dramatic 2-1 win over Ballymena United.

The NI Football Awards Premiership Team of the Year lines up as follows…

Chris Johns (Linfield)

Lyndon Kane (Coleraine)

Jimmy Callacher (Linfield)

Jonny Addis (Cliftonville)

Levi Ives (Cliftonville)

Jamie McDonagh (Cliftonville)

Chris Shields (Linfield)

Ben Kennedy (Crusaders)

Conor McMenamin (Glentoran)

Ryan Curran (Cliftonville)

Jay Donnelly (Glentoran)