Ighalo makes PFA Fans’ Player of the Month shortlist

Super Eagles forward, Odion Ighalo, is in contention for the first PFA Fans’ Player of the Month Awards nominated by a panel of judges of Sky Sports.

Ighalo, who has scored four goals in seven games for Watford, faces fierce competition from Manchester United new boy Anthony Martial and Manchester City stars David Silva and Vincent Kompany.

Leicester winger Riyad Mahrez – who has scored five goals in six Premier League games  is also in contention as well as Dimitri Payet, whose three goals and two assists have lifted West Ham to third in the table.

Adebayo Akinfenwa of League Two side AFC Wimbledon is in contention for the award in his division.

Every month, throughout the English football season, fans will have the opportunity to vote on skysports.com for who they think has been the best player in each of the Barclays Premier League, Sky Bet Championship, Sky Bet League One and Sky Bet League Two, after Sky Sports teamed up with the PFA to be the digital platform for the Awards.

Before the vote opens each month, an expert panel will produce a shortlist of contenders. Fans will then be able to vote for the player they think deserves the award.

The panel includes Sky Sports football pundits Paul Merson, Ian Holloway and Peter Beagrie. That trio will be joined by Mike Riley, general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials, and Malcolm Clarke, chairman of the Football Supporters Federation, as well as the winning fan from each month.

After the final weekend of league action, an even shorter list of leading contenders will be announced, however voting will remain open until Monday, October 5.

The winner will be announced after the round of fixtures on October 3.

Here are all the contenders:

Premier League

Andre Ayew (Swansea City)

Bafetimbi Gomis (Swansea City)

Odion Ighalo (Watford)

Vincent Kompany (Manchester City)

Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City)

Anthony Martial (Manchester United)

Dimitri Payet (West Ham)

Graziano Pelle (Southampton)

David Silva (Manchester City)

Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)

Callum Wilson (Bournemouth)

Ashley Williams (Swansea)

Championship

Charlie Austin (QPR)

Nick Blackman (Reading)

Clayton Donaldson (Birmingham)

Ryan Fraser (Ipswich)

Tomer Hemed (Brighton)

Emyr Huws (Huddersfield)

Michael Kean (Burnley)

Kike (Middlesbrough)

Jamie O’Hara (Fulham)

Jordan Rhodes (Blackburn)

Orlando Sa (Reading)

Ross Wallace (Sheffield Wednesday)

League One

Adam Armstrong (Coventry City)

Stuart Beavon (Burton)

Nathan Cameron (Bury)

Devante Cole (Bradford)

Bradley Dack (Gillingham)

Abdenasser El Khayati (Burton)

Jamie Jones (Colchester)

Paddy Madden (Scunthorpe)

Sam Mantom (Walsall)

George Moncur (Colchester)

Romaine Sawyers (Walsall)

Billy Sharp (Sheffield United)

League Two

Nicky Adams (Northampton Town)

Adebayo Akinfenwa (AFC Wimbledon)

Graham Carey (Plymouth Argyle)

Barry Corr (Cambridge United)

Jamie Devitt (Morecambe)

Jabo Ibehre (Carlisle)

Jake Jervis (Plymouth Argyle)

Craig Mackail-Smith (Luton)

Tom Nichols (Exeter City)

Kemar Roofe (Oxford United)

Jay Simpson (Leyton Orient)

Josh Windass (Accrington Stanley)