UNTIL last Monday Nick Pope had never won an end of season award.

Not at Charlton, not at Bury Town. Not in loan spells at York City, Welling, Harrow Borough and the rest.

But then this has truly been a breakthrough season for the 26-year-old, who admits he's barely had time to catch his breath and take it all in since the whirlwind began on September 10.

When Pope replaced the injured Tom Heaton towards the end of the first half against Crystal Palace on that date he was making his first Premier League appearance. Few people had heard of him outside Turf Moor.

They have now. The clamour for him to be part of England's World Cup squad grows by the week and Pope's performances for the Clarets this season saw him showered with silverware at the supporters clubs player of the year night.

Pope claimed 11 of the 13 gongs on offer and now has so many trophies he doesn't know where to keep them.

"I don't know what to do with them. They're sat on the table tennis table at the moment," the Clarets goalkeeper said.

Pope's own dream campaign has been mirrored throughout the club, with Burnley heading for a first European campaign in 51 years and a top-seven finish.

"It's something that's flown by. We're sitting here with two games to go and I'm very happy," he said.

"I feel like I've put in some good performances in my debut Premier League season. Everyone at the club is ecstatic with the amount of points that we've got on the board."

Pope's form for the Clarets saw him rewarded with a first Three Lions call-up in March for England's friendlies with Holland and Italy.

Although he didn't get on the pitch in either game he remains a candidate to make Gareth Southgate's 23-man squad for the World Cup in Russia.

Asked if the successes of this season had fully sunk in, Pope said: "Possibly not. I'll get a bit of time in the summer to kick back, relax and think about things.

"It's probably not the right time to do it now. Since I've been in the team I've been focussed on when the next match is and I've been preparing for that.

"Maybe I'll get to look back on it at the end of the season."

Pope was nominated for another award last week, as one of 10 players to earn a vote in the prestigious Football Writers' Association player of the year award.

"It was out of the blue really but it's something that I'm really happy about," he said.

"It was a bit of a surprise to be honest, it may have been for a few people as well, but it's an honour to be included on a list with those players this season."

On the statistics this season it was an honour that was merited, with Pope at the top of the charts with David De Gea in many of the goalkeeping metrics.

The former non-league stopper has watched and admired the Manchester United man in recent seasons, but during his journey through the leagues he has kept an eye on other, lesser known goalkeepers as well.

"He's up there with the best goalkeepers in the world," Pope said of De Gea. "He's somebody that I've been lucky enough to watch over the last few years.

"At Charlton, when I was 19, playing non-league football, I'd go and watch games at that level or in League Two because that's what I was aspiring to. You'd go to watch those games to see what was expected of a goalkeeper.

"At the same time you're watching Premier League games every weekend on the TV or, if I was lucky enough, I'd get a ticket to watch one. I'd watch those goalkeepers and try to learn from them as well."

But when it comes to Pope's goalkeeping idol, it's a former star from his boyhood club Ipswich that remains his number one.

"I always say Richard Wright. He was the first one that I watched because I had a season ticket (at Ipswich) so I'd be there week in week out," he said.

"He was the goalkeeper when Ipswich were promoted to the Premier League."