Marc Cucurella sparkles again at the Amex - off the pitch

His Monday night was was spent doing something very similar.

Rather fewer people were there this time - but still a full house in the Mayo Wynne Baxter Lounge.

But the effervescent Albion wing-back turned on the dazzle as he scooped an award double.

Cucurella was called to stage twice – as winner of the players’ player of the year and later for the fans’ award, which is the traditional climax of the gala occasion and, essentially, the big one.

His English was good enough for him to interviewed - twice - at some length.

And patchy enough for the interviews to be really entertaining.

Spanish sports newspaper Marca picked up on his quip: “Hey, gaffer, next season put me on the bench. I donlt like to speak English!”

But, having seen him sparkle on the pitch, fans present and watching via Youtube got a taste of the personality which has made Cucurella so popular with fellow players.

Team-mates were happy to point out on a video that, while he trains well, he does not enjoy the warm-ups.

“True, I don’t like them much,” he later told The Argus.

“It’s very cold and I find it hard to get into training.

“Now you know me and, once the session starts, I am in top form.

“Those minutes of warming up are for concentrating myself!

“I also tell Josh, the conditioning coach, to change the warm-ups because they are always the same!”

Fans struggled to follow a story which appeared to involve the police when he thanked people for their help.

Turns out it was not as serious as it sounded!

“It’s just a funny story now,” he said.

“My wife and kids didn’t have the right visa and the police asked about it.

“I remember being in the hotel and being a bit anxious.

“My wife didn’t speak English and she was at Gatwick with two kids and lots of suitcases.

“But it’s just an anecdote now.”

Cucurella can give interviews in English and can certainly communicate with team-mates.

Joel Veltman said: “He makes a lot of fun in the dressing room and everybody loves him.

“His English is not the best but he is improving I would say every day.

“He is full of fun every day we see him.”

Cucurella said: “I understand a lot but, for speaking, I am still short of a bit of vocabulary.

“Bit by bit, I keep practising and using the language.

“We do two classes a week and next season will be good.

“With the kids it can be difficult but we are getting on well.

“The people like Billy (Reid, coach) are hard to understand.

“When Dan Burn was here, he spoke quickly with his mouth closed, and it was hard to understand.

“But we like going out. We go to the park, listen to people talking and you pick things up.”

Cucurella added the two trophies to the fans’ player of the year prize he picked up in his first season at Getafe.

He said: “Very happy. I didn’t expect to win the two.

“Many thanks to the supporters, my team-mates and the coaches.

“For being my first season, I can’t ask for any more.

“Now we want to finish the season in the best way possible.”

Cucurella’s double was emulated by Megan Walsh, the goalkeeper whose form in the FA WSL helped her to a first call-up by the Republic of Ireland.

Walsh said: “The fans recognise the hard work that all the team put in.

“We can hear the fans every game we play.

“They push us on and give us the extra bit of energy we need.”

There have been some fairly straightforward Albion goal of the season selections in recent years.

Steve Sidwell had the prize sewn up from November 5 back in the 2016-17 season.

That was the day be scored from the halfway line at Bristol City.

And with his left foot too, as he would be keen to point out.

The previous season, the award was re-opened when Jiri Skalak sent a thunderbolt into the top corner at home to QPR.

It was pretty obvious then which goal would take top spot.

The voting was kept open late again this time after events against Manchester United on Saturday.

But it did not affect the destination of the prize on this occasion.

Pascal Gross made the top ten with his stylish conclusion of a sweeping move to make it 3-0.

But Enock Mwepu’s goal at Liverpool took the honours.

Like Jose Izquierdo in 2017-18, Mwepu had two strong contenders.

Izquierdo won it with a dipping curler into the far top corner at home to West Ham.

But he revealed on awards night he thought his finish to a move at Stoke was the better goal.

This season, Mwepu took first and third places, his half-volley at Arsenal completing the podium.

There are those who argue that goal, involving a move down the left and Moises Caicedo’s athletic cutback, deserved to win the award.

But the winning margin was actually quite clear.

The strike at Anfield polled 30% of votes cast while Neal Maupay’s lob at Crystal Palace, which finished second, took 14%.

As accomplished a finish as it was, one wonders whether that Maupay goal would have come second had it been earlier in the game and against different opponents.

Arguably his hooked finish at Watford was better yet it did not make the top ten.

Mwepu was asked whether he intended the shot when interviewed on stage at Monday’s awards ceremony and was rightly insistent that he did.

Maisie Symonds was rather less convincing when asked whether her award-winning strike was totally deliberate.

From the West Lower it certainly looked like she was intending to shoot as she curled inside the far post to beat Leicester.

Her strike came in added time and sparked ecstatic scenes at the Amex.

Symonds said: “I’ll always remember those celebrations.”

Perhaps surprisingly, the result of the women’s poll was rather closer than the men’s.

Symonds’ free-kick took 23% of the votes.

That was just one percentage point ahead of Emma Koivisto’s header at Arsenal.

Young player of the year honours went to Jeremy Sarmiento and Maya Le Tissier.

Sarmiento’s selection for the senior Ecuador side was cited on awards night.

The Sarah Watts Inspiration Award went to Paul Young, chief executive of the Off The Fence charity.

Paul organised the Big Sleep last year, which was supported by Graham Potter, Billy Reid and Bruno.

The James Brynin Fan of the Season award went to Paul Williams and the Mighty Fin.

Paul and his son are season ticket holders who make a 600-mile round trip from Colwyn Bay to attend games at the Amex.

Fin was diagnosed with Mowat-Wilson syndrome, a rare genetic condition meaning he is unable to speak, but he still connects with thousands of Albion fans every day through his Facebook page.

Gabriel Attard, who continues to benefit the work of AITC despite suffering from a stroke last year, received the Albion in the Community Award.

Tim Dudding, a hard-working and innovative member of the club’s media set-up for the last 20 years, won the Chairman’s Award amid hot competition.