Young Player of the Year Award - 2010

The 2010 Young Player of the Year award goes to Graeme Robertson, who has been a member of the Junior Squad for over five years, gaining in ability and talent throughout this time.

2010 was his highpoint as a player, as he represented England in not just one but two World Championships. In July he travelled to Taiwan as captain of the Cambridge University team in the World University Championships, having qualified by right by winning the Portland Bowl (the England universities championship). His team finished creditably considering their inexperience but Graeme's performance was first class: he played in every match and was awarded the Paul Magerman Trophy for the best defended hand, for his inspired defence to beat a 4 spade contract.

Last October he travelled to Philadelphia as part of the Under-21 team in the Junior World Championships. Graeme was part of the anchor pair that played every single board in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of the event, and his performance was critical in the teams phenomenal recovery against the Netherlands.

His sense of humour and amusing story-telling provide light relief in even the darkest of times, and he is a credit to the squad.

• Past winners

Young Player of the Year Award - 2009

This year's Young Player of the year award is given to Ben Paske.

2009 was only one of many fantastic years that Ben has had since starting to play bridge, and in true fashion he achieves his goals with a quiet modesty that is hard to match.

Ben was Alice Kaye's and James Paul's team-mate in the Punchbowl final, and he also had a great victory at the Northern Summer Festival of Bridge held in Scarborough, where he won the Pairs trophy from a field of 170 pairs as well as the great success in leading his team of junior players to the A final in the Brighton teams (where they came 5th), an amazing achievement for a team of all youngsters.

Ben has had other good results including the Premier League, the Brighton pairs, and international events.

However it is Ben's attitude both at and away from the table that makes this award particularly special.Wherever Ben goes you can rest assured that he will be the responsible one, looking out for his friends, making sure people are ok and always putting others before himself. As the eldest child from a family of 8 you can see where he gets his responsible attitude from and why he takes his job as being a squad member so seriously.

Michael Byrne

Young Player of the Year Award

The Young Player of the year award is also awarded annually to an individual that has proved their worth both in their ability, and more importantly in their attitude and manners, both at and away from the bridge table.

The recipient has been a member of the junior squad for many years, coming through as a precocious youngster until maturing into a helpful young man with a great future ahead of him.

In 2008 he too was on the Spring Fours team that knocked out the English open team in round 1, as well as being an instrumental part of the team for Beijing. Forming his Beijing partnership only in the previous April he put in the work and dedication necessary to be an integral part of the Silver medal wining team. Despite being less practiced than both the other partnerships he and his partner were ready and willing to be called upon whenever necessary and played a full and active role in the team's victory. In the semi-final against China he played both the last two sets, and keeping English hopes alive by bidding and making two grand slams.

After Beijing, with his partnership too old for under 20 bridge, he has now gone on to form a new partnership and made a great debut at the Channel trophy held in London last year.

More importantly he has grown up into a generous and caring individual who always make the time to contribute in any way he can.

It is therefore my great honour to announce that the award for Young player of the Year 2008 goes to Daniel McIntosh.

• Daniel is 19 and originally from Birmingham, he now lives in Gloucestershire. He is studying his A Levels at 6th form college.