The Club is delighted to announce that Devan Tanton has been awarded the Johnny Haynes Trophy for the 2023/24 season.
The trophy is awarded to the Fulham Supporters’ Trust Academy Player of the Year and is voted on by Academy staff and players. Devan becomes the sixth winner of the Johnny Haynes Trophy, with Tyrese Francois, Jay Stansfield, Fabio Carvalho, Sonny Hilton and Matt Dibley-Dias all previous winners.
It’s been a season to remember for Devan, who was presented with the trophy at Craven Cottage ahead of our draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday. Devan has made his First-Team debut at both Club and international level this season.
In November, Marco Silva handed Devan his Fulham debut in our Carabao Cup victory over Ipswich Town, where he played alongside Under-21s teammate and fellow debutant Luc De Fougerolles.
A month later, Devan earned international recognition, coming on as a substitute in Colombia’s 1-0 win over Venezuela.
For the Under-21s, Devan has played 16 of our 20 PL2 games, contributing two goals and plenty of assists from the right side. The flying full-back also got on the scoresheet in our 4-0 thrashing of Chelsea, which booked our place in the Premier League Cup Final, which is set to be played towards the end of May.
After picking up the award, Devan said: “It feels great. There are lots of talented players in our team, so to be singled out is a real honour and I didn’t expect it.
“Some really big players have won this trophy before, which makes it that bit more special. I’ve achieved a lot of milestones in a short amount of time this season and I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Academy Director, Sean Cullen, added: “This is a well-deserved honour for Devan and caps a successful season that has seen him achieve his First-Team debut and earn his first international cap for Colombia.
“Knowing Devan, his drive and determination, he will not be satisfied with this and will want to push on again and make the step into senior men’s football next season. Devan is a great role model for his peers and our younger players, someone who works hard in all areas of his development.”
Simon Duke, Chair of the Fulham Supporters’ Trust, said: “We are honoured and delighted to be able to support this award on an annual basis and it's a great honour for Devan as it's voted for by the people that work with him day in, day out.
"The names on the trophy show how prestigious this award is and it will be really interesting to see how Devan develops at the club. Marco has shown a willingness to allow youngsters an opportunity. If they're good enough, they're old enough.”
