Martin Skrtel was crowned Player of the Year for 2012 at the Northwest Football Awards on Monday night, while Martin Kelly received the Rising Star accolade.

Skrtel saw off competition from Antonio Valencia of Manchester United and Vincent Kompany of Manchester City to clinch the Premier League award.

It comes after he was voted Liverpool's best player in 2011-12 by fans on this website.

Kelly was also among the winners during the ceremony at Lancashire County Cricket Ground, pipping Nick Powell (Crewe Alexandra), Mats Daehli (Manchester United), Tom Ince (Blackpool), Apostolos Vellios (Everton) and Denis Suarez (Manchester City) in the Rising Star category.

All player awards were voted for by supporters.

Kelly said: "It's a real honour to receive this award. Huge thanks goes to all LFC fans who voted. I'm working hard to get fit and when I'm back I will continue to do you proud."

Academy director Frank McParland collected the awards on behalf of Skrtel and Kelly.

Michael Heaven, from the Northwest Football Awards, added: "The Liverpool players received thousands of votes from across the globe, surpassing all previous fan voting numbers by a mile.

"It just goes to show the phenomenal, far reaching support that Liverpool Football Club has."

The club and Standard Chartered also picked up the Corporate Social Responsibility Campaign of the Year prize for Seeing is Believing, while there was a touching tribute to the Hillsborough Family Support Group which prompted a standing ovation.

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