The 29-year-old spearheaded the Irish province’s progress into the last eight with 71 points in their six Pool 3 games to finish top of the points chart at the end of the group stage.

Those points have not just come from goalkicking, though. He has scored five tries, including a brace in Ulster’s 34-10 romp at Harlequins in Round 4, to lie joint fourth in the try table.

That game, where Cooney amassed 19 points, was one of two in the pool stage where the Irish international was voted Heineken Man of the Match. The other was Ulster’s 17-16 success at Bath Rugby in Round 1, where he contributed 12.

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The winner of one of the most prized individual accolades in the world game will receive a specially-struck gold medal as well as the Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy.

Voting for the award is now open HERE and fans will be in the running to win two VIP tickets to the Heineken Champions Cup final in Marseille next May with one night’s accommodation courtesy of EPCR, and a signed jersey of one of the Heineken Champions Cup finalist clubs.

The list will be reduced to five players in early May following the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup semi-finals by a combination of the public vote and the verdict of the judges, and players who have not been included in the initial list of 15, but who make a significant impact in a quarter-final or semi-final match, may be considered for the shortlist.

The voting will then re-open and the winner of the 2020 award will be announced following the Heineken Champions Cup final at the Stade Vélodrome, Marseille on Saturday, 23 May.

Ulster Rugby scrum-half John Cooney has been nominated for the 2020 EPCR European Player of the Year award after a superb Heineken Champions Cup season to date.