The 25-year-old is the top-scoring forward in the competition at present with six from five appearances to lie joint first in that chart, including crucial doubles against La Rochelle and Sale Sharks in Rounds 6 and 4 respectively, winning the Heineken Man of the Match award in the latter.

Simmonds has played a key role in guiding the English club to the No.2 seeding and their first ever home quarter-final in European competition.

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.

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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.

No.13 in the 2020 EPCR European Player of the Year nominations is Exeter Chiefs back-row forward Sam Simmonds, who has taken his performances in the Heineken Champions Cup to a new level this season.