Sean McLoughlin gets second Player of the Month award this season 

CORK'S Sean McLoughlin has been named Hull City Player of the Month for February, just two months after he last picked up the award.

He beat goalkeeper Matt Ingram, defender Alfie Jones, and midfielder Ozan Tufan to claim the prize.

The defender from Cobh started all five Championship games for the club last month and he helped them record three clean sheets.

This was his third time getting nominated in a row, and McLoughlin’s second time picking up the award this season.

McLoughlin’s work has helped Hull to comfortably slot into midtable in the Championship after they flirted with relegation for the last two seasons.

The defender has spent the majority of season working with Alfie Jones and the pair acted as the foundation of a five game unbeaten run that lasted through February. McLoughlin played a key role in this streak as he made a total of 25 clearances and five tackles.

The club are predicting McLoughlin to get nominated for the award for March 2023 after impressive performances against West Bromwich Albion and Coventry City.

McLoughlin also saw a header get turned in by defender Dara O’Shea and that was enough to seal a 2-0 victory over West Brom.

The defender’s performances, and his close relationship with Jones, were recently singled out for praise by manager Liam Rosenior.

"I couldn't be happier with them (Alfie Jones and Sean McLoughlin). They are defending the box brilliantly. On top of that, they're learning a whole new way of playing. They're two players I want to build the team around along with Jacob (Greaves),” he told the club’s media team.

Rosenior took over Hull last November when the club was just one point above the relegation zone in the Championship.

Since then, Hull have lost just five times in the league and that has helped them jump up to 15th place, fourteen points from the play-offs.

McLoughlin’s rise comes four years after he made the move to Hull from Cork City, the club that signed him from UCC in the Munster Senior League.

The defender first rose to promise during the college’s Collingwood Cup and Premier Division double winning season in 2017.

He moved to City that summer and he spent two years at the club, a period that saw him win a league and cup double, two Munster Senior Cups, and a Presidents Cup.

McLoughlin also made six appearances for City in the Champions League and Europe League between 2018 and 2019.

The defender was signed by Hull midway through the summer of 2019 and he was immediately sent on loan to St Mirren in Scotland. McLoughlin was a regular starter for the club until he returned to Hull that December.