Sunderland's Dan Neil wants to realise Wembley dream after being voted fans' Young Player of the Year

Newly-crowned Young Player of the Year Dan Neil is dreaming of ending his magnificent breakthrough by scoring a Wembley winner to help Sunderland achieve promotion. The 20-year-old academy product picked up his Sunderland Supporters' Association award at the Stadium of Light last night, with 22-goal leading scorer Ross Stewart voted Player of the Year.

Neil was a popular choice, with the midfielder having quickly established himself as a crowd favourite in his first full season of senior football. "It means a lot to win the award, especially in my first season," said the boyhood Sunderland fan.

"A lot of the players who have won it in the past have gone on to do really good things and hopefully I can follow in their footsteps, but that only starts if we reach that end goal at the end of the season. It's all well and good winning individual awards but it's the team one that we want to win, and hopefully we can finish the season off by doing that."

With six games of the regular season remaining - and potentially three more if Sunderland reach the play-off final - Neil wants to play his part in helping the club secure a play-off place, and give himself a chance of realising that Wembley dream. "Of course I've thought about it," he smiled.

"It would be some way to cap off a good season, and a rollercoaster season for myself. To score the winner at Wembley - of course, that's what dreams are made of.

"But there's still unfinished business. We have six cup finals left and at the moment we are finding ways to win games and we need to keep on doing that for six or nine games."

With Sunderland having lowered the age profile of the squad this season, there were plenty of contenders for the Young Player award. On-loan