Leeds United star celebrated but boss Daniel Farke delivers brutally honest awards verdict

Summerville has been named the best player in the Championship for the month of October and it's no real surprise. His winning goals against Queens Park Rangers and Norwich City alone put his contribution for the month right up there, before his total tally of five goals and two assists were taken into account.

Farke, of course, appreciated Summerville for much more than end product as Leeds picked up four vital victories in October, but the manager evidently spent exactly zero time thinking about the possibility of his winger picking up an individual award from the EFL.

"To be honest I think there is hardly another sport in the world where individual awards are as necessary as in football," the German began, giving Thursday's assembly of the local press advance notice that this was not to be the obligatory response to such an award.

"We win together, we lose together, offensive players can't shine without the defenders and a defender or goalkeeper can't shine without the work of the players up front, a coach can't shine without his team and the other way around. Sometimes you need some proper leadership from the coaching staff and whoever to shine. It's always about the team. I'm really not bothered at all about individual awards. I think in my second title-winning season in English football when it was a big sensation when we won the league with Norwich with 97 points and nearly 100 goals, the best season in the history of Norwich with a bunch of lads not good enough to get contracts in the second tier in France, Germany or Spain and some young guys from the academy I was not manager of the season but I was not bothered, the only thing that matters is to be successful with the team. That's the only thing that matters."

Farke is, however, pleased that if anyone was to pick up an award for what they did in the division during the month of October, it was Summerville and not just for his goals and assists. Although Leeds’ most recent win took place in November it was a perfect example of how the 22-year-old is adding discipline and work ethic to the thrilling pace and dribbling ability that helps him stand out as an individual. And while Farke’s praise for Summerville is glowing, he was keen to state for the record, again, that his view of awards is dim.

"I'm happy for Cree because he 100 per cent deserves it and for the player it's sometimes a confidence boost because they're a bit younger than me and for young human beings it's sometimes important to get feedback and recognition and a confidence boost," said Farke.

"So for that it's beneficial but as a group we're not bothered about it, it's not important. It's important not to take it too seriously. But it's well deserved not just because of his goals, assists and really good performances but also because of the workload and the shift he's put in.

"When I think of the Leicester game and the shift he put in, the number of times he was willing to work back and help Sam Byram to defend the wingers - when you show this attitude to help the team it's totally okay to win individual awards but if I'm honest I'm not interested in this.

"I know nowadays we have to create more and more individual awards because it's a big topic for the public and it's nice to get some pictures for social media and for marketing - the club will be happy and I'm quite sure there will be nice pictures but for me the most important picture is when he celebrates a great block on the wing or when he is there with a goal. But congratulations and well done!"