Coventry City

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton's Tonda Eckert has been named the Championship's manager of the month for April, his third successive award.

Saints went unbeaten in the Championship last month, taking 14 points from a six-game unbeaten run as well as reaching an FA Cup semi-final where they just lost out to Manchester City.

Southampton finished fourth in the table to secure a play-off place and will meet Middlesbrough in the semi-finals with the first leg on Teesside on Saturday, 9 May (12:30 BST).

"It's a real honour to receive this award again, but it's one that belongs to everyone at the football club," Eckert said.

"The players and staff have been outstanding, and our supporters continue to give us incredible backing every week.

"To win it three times in a row is something we can be proud of, but our focus remains fully on the games ahead.

"We've built a strong mentality as a group, and we have to keep pushing to finish the season as strongly as possible."

Coventry City's Frank Lampard, John Mousinho of Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers boss Michael O'Neill were also nominated for April's award.

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton's Tonda Eckert, Frank Lampard of Coventry, Portsmouth boss John Mousinho and Blackburn's Michael O'Neill have been nominated for April's Championship manager of the month award.

Eckert is hoping to make it a hat-trick of wins after taking the award for both February and March.

He led Saints to an unbeaten run of six games last month as they finished in fourth place to secure a play-off place.

Lampard took Coventry to the Championship title and a return to the Premier League after 25 years away. The Sky Blues were also unbeaten in April, taking 12 points from their six matches.

John Moushino has kept Portsmouth in the Championship for a second successive season with impressive wins over Middlesbrough and Ipswich part of a haul of 14 points from seven outings.

Pompey forward Adrian Segecic is up for the player of month award after scoring four goals as part of the club's successful battle against relegation.

Also nominated for the manager's award is Michael O'Neill of Blackburn Rovers after the Northern Ireland boss oversaw nine points from six games in April to guide the club to safety.

The winners will be announced on Friday, 8 May.

Coventry City chairman Doug King believes the club's fanbase will be an important asset as they return to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years.

The Sky Blues celebrated alongside over 50,000 supporters inside War Memorial Park on Monday following an open top bus parade and King hopes that the fans will be ready to bring their voice into their top-flight campaign.

"I think we are going to need that [sense of togetherness] as we head into our next adventure," King told BBC Radio CWR.

"It's a fight against some of the premier teams in the whole world, who are going to be competing against us at the CBS Arena next year but I'm excited for the challenge.

"We've done an amazing thing to get to this moment and that was the hardest. Getting out of this Championship, bringing the city and the stadium together and we've done that."

The event included performances from The Enemy and Tom Grennan before being closed out to a rendition of kick-off anthem We'll Live and Die in These Towns.

King also graced the stage in a moment he will never forget.

"I was stunned, it was my favourite moment - close to - in my life just to see what it meant to everybody," King told BBC Radio CWR.

"Young, old - everybody just having a party and feeling good."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Listen to more Coventry City content on BBC Sounds

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard hailed the all-round performance of Ellis Simms after the striker's hat-trick helped them to a 4-0 win at Watford.

The Sky Blues signed off the season in style and can now start planning in earnest for their return to the Premier League.

"I would say I'm so happy that it happened to him but there's so many players in this team that I love, I want it to happen to all of them," Lampard told BBC CWR.

"Ellis has got better and better, his all-round game today, his hold-up play, his running behind, the quality of his finishes - it was a beautiful hat-trick.

"I'm really happy for him, he's so humble, and gets on with his life."

Lampard was delighted that his much-changed side had again shown their winning mentality when they could have easily switched off since clinching promotion.

"These last three games after (promotion at) Blackburn, 5-1, 3-1, 4-0, they've really shown their quality, they're adaptable, can win games in different ways," he said.

"They've made themselves into a real machine this season in this league and that's really impressive, goals, clean sheets for Rushy [Carl Rushworth], outstanding season.

"The way the city's come together and got behind this club - I had a thing on my phone the other day with a local school signing and all dressed in Coventry kit - those things are the biggest deal, when you can affect the community beyond the football pitch."

Frank Lampard said the reality of Coventry City's title-winning promotion back to the Premier League has now sunk in.

The Sky Blues sealed their return to the top flight for the first time in 25 years with a draw at Blackburn on 17 April before clinching the Championship title at home with a 5-1 thumping of Portsmouth four days later.

Sunday's victory over Wrexham at the CBS Arena was a chance for the Sky Blues' fans to enjoy their celebrations at home and Lampard said that what they achieved had finally hit them.

"We're fortunate that we've had a few occasions to celebrate it now, away from home, at home twice. But it really sunk in at the weekend," he told BBC CWR.

"It was a fantastic opportunity for the fans to just purely enjoy it and I think they enjoyed the performance.

"But the realisation kicks in, it's quite surreal when you do something like this. I think with the situation of our club and the history, and even what we thought we might have at the start of the season to what the boys have absolutely produced is quite surreal, but now it's a reality."

Coventry go to Watford aiming to round off their campaign with a 28th win and their 11th in their past 15 games.

One more clean sheet would also guarantee on-loan goalkeeper Carl Rushworth the Golden Glove award - an accolade he is already sure of sharing, at least, with Ipswich Town's Christian Walton, who is one behind on 15.

"He's been an outstanding player for us," Lampard said. "He's brought consistency, calmness, level of quality, a professional training ethic.

"I know he's been on loan to different clubs, but the feeling of a Premier League player, how they train, how they act - he's brought a really professional nature to the club and he's been big for us.

"So I hope he gets that clean sheet award, whether he shares it or whether he wins it. I want him to win it because he's our player and he deserves it."