And the Daily Post Everton player of the year is...

For Evertonians, the news will come as no surprise, such has been the 25-year-old's impact following his arrival from Coca- Cola Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer of 2006.

Once again, Lescott, a centre- back by trade, spent much of the season at left-back without any detriment to his game.

Indeed, his displays earned him a first full England cap in the Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia in October and, with three further international appearances, Lescott has become firmly established in Fabio Capello's squad.

Lescott came into his own during the winter period, when five of his awards came in a run of 10 games.

And the defender has added goals to his burgeoning repertoire. Lescott was set a target of 10 by his manager Moyes, a total that was reached on the final day of the season with a typically neat finish in the 3-1 win over Newcastle United.

"I'm happy with the way things have gone," says Lescott. "I've scored a few goals as well, but the team has done well and long may that continue.

"But it's not just me though, the whole of the team have helped me. It has been a good season for me personally and for the team."

Lescott's efforts did not go unnoticed by his colleagues, who named him Players' Player of the Year at the recent Everton Annual Awards Dinner.

"If you think how far he has come from playing for Wolves a few years ago to playing for England, he's been absolutely unbelievable," says Lee Carsley.

"He's come a long way and he deserves what's happening now. He's got double figures in terms of goals and he can score more, he's a good finisher.

"There's a lot more to come from Joleon. He's an athlete and that's the way the game has gone now."

It was typical of the player's character that Lescott, having scored an unfortunate injury-time own goal in the Carling Cup semi-final first leg at Chelsea, should respond with a man-of-the-match display in the return.

Any worries over Lescott's long-term fitness, raised after he missed the entire 2003-04 season with a serious knee injury, have been banished with the defender having played some part in every game since coming to Goodison - 96 consecutive matches.

Admittedly, the necessity of a series of injections to strengthen that knee has ruled Lescott out of England's forthcoming friendlies against the United States and Trinidad and Tobago.

"It's a shame to miss those friendlies but I played 59 games this season, including for England, but it's nothing major," said Lescott.

"I'll be ready to go again on the first day of pre-season. The medical staff and management reckon I just need some rest.

"It's not an injury or because my knee has flared up. All I needed was a strengthening injection. I know that it will be fine. All the lads were saying after the last game that they can't wait to get back and if we can get a few additions, who knows what we can achieve?"

Lescott's injury problem, though, has opened the way for a first senior call-up for team-mate Jagielka, ample reward for an assured first season at Goodison.

Early signs weren't encouraging. The utility player struggled for form after his protracted summer arrival from Sheffield United, the nadir coming while in central midfield in the UEFA Cup game at Metalist Kharkiv in October.

Jagielka, though, slowly turned his season around and, having been given a chance at centre-back at West Ham United in the Carling Cup in December, didn't look back.

Five of his man-of-the-match awards came in the subsequent two months, Jagielka ultimately forging an imposing partnership with Joseph Yobo, with no team conceding fewer Premier League goals than Everton in 2008.

And former manager Neil Warnock was among those to pass on his congratulations to Jagielka on his England call-up.

Warnock, who was at Sheffield United during Jagielka's time there, phoned his former charge on the day that he had been selected.

During the phone call, Warnock said: "Told you, son! Didn't I say you'd make an England centre-half one day? I knew you'd do it."

Jagielka himself says: "I suppose I've had a decent time of things in the second half of the season but I still didn't expect to be called up. We finished the season in style and we'll all come back on the first day of pre- season raring to go again.

"There are too many people to thank for helping me. The lads kept my spirits up when I wasn't playing but then there is the Gaffer, Taffy (Andy Holden), the physios, the kit men. It's just great to be a part of the Everton family."

At the other end of the field, Yakubu's 21 goals made him the first Everton player to reach the 20-goal mark since Peter Beardsley in 1992.

And it's worth noting the Nigerian was the team's best performer in three successive games - against SK Brann, Manchester City and Portsmouth - immediately after being censured for his late return from the African Cup of Nations.

Indeed, five of his six awards came from February onwards, making light of the accusation the £11.25million striker tends to ease his foot off the gas after the New Year.

Significantly, 15 different players earned a man-of-the- match award for Everton this season, demonstrating the collective contribution of Moyes's squad.

Leon Osman's performance at White Hart Lane in August set the tone for an excellent season for the Billinge-born midfielder, his busy, direct style a constant feature of Everton's attacks.

James McFadden, buoyed by his exploits with Scotland, shone early in the campaign and again around the turn of the year, before Birmingham City and Alex McLeish came calling with an offer that was too good for the player or Everton to refuse.

What of the rest? Mikel Arteta, last season's Daily Post Everton player of the season, was hampered by a niggling abdominal injury from November onwards while Tim Cahill's ongoing metatarsal misery limited his impact.

Surprisingly, despite becoming a huge creative influence on the team during his loan spell from Borussia Dortmund, Steven Pienaar snaffled just one man-of- the-match award, against West Ham in the Carling
Cup, while skipper Phil Neville didn't win any.

It was somehow apt, though, that Carsley and Tony Hibbert, the only two players to have remained at
Goodison throughout Moyes's tenure, should both claim awards in the run-in against Aston Villa and Arsenal respectively.

But no-one could match the consistency of Lescott.