MARK Harris has been named the Sky Bet Championship player of the month for August.

The 25-year-old striker, who scored four goals in four league games last month for Oxford United, beat competition from Sunderland centre back Luke O’Nien, plus forwards Josh Maja (West Bromwich Albion) and Duncan Watmore (Millwall).

Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris won the manager of the month award, after leading the Black Cats to the top of the table after four wins from four matches.

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On receiving the Championship player of the month gong, Harris said: “It’s a really nice award. We’ve started the season off quite well as a team, and as an individual, I think I’ve started off quite well.

“I’ve scored a few goals, helping the team, and it’s been a good start. But it’s only a good start, we’ve got plenty more games to come, and we’re looking forward to them now.

“To be nominated for awards like this is always great. It’s a cliché thing to say, but it’s always about the team, but to win individual awards is always great.

“I’m just going into every game full of confidence, and hopefully I can get a few more chances, and put a few more goals away.”

The award represents back-to-back gongs for Harris, who scooped the League One player of the month prize in April.

He said: “I’m enjoying my football. A lot of people have said about winning the player of the month for the last month of the season before, and winning the first player of the month this season.

“It’s great, I’m enjoying my football, and hopefully we can just carry on as a team and individually.

“I’ve always got self-belief and self-confidence, and at the minute, I’m playing with freedom and enjoying my football.”

Harris is back at United following international duty with Wales, having earned his first cap since June 2022.

He played the final 10 minutes as Wales won 2-1 in Montenegro, with the UEFA Nations League tie played in testing conditions.

Harris said: “It was nice being back playing for my country. I got 10 minutes the other night, so it was nice to be back on the pitch with the dragon back on my chest.

“It was a mad 10 minutes, with the weather and the pitch. It was a bit of a crazy game, and we obviously started off very well, going 2-0 up within three minutes, with two great goals.

“It was always going to be a tight game towards the end. They put a bit of pressure on us, but it was good to get it over the line.”

He added: “You want to be playing every minute, and starting, but there’s competition for places, and now it’s just down to me to keep performing and scoring, and hopefully I can be one of them starting in the future.”