SAINTS and England wing Tommy Makinson says the Golden Boot award he received last night will take a while to sink in.

The 26-year-old flankman is rugby league's man of the moment after being the match winner in Sunday's test at Anfield.

And last night he became only the fifth Englishman to claim the coveted title being selected ahead of Australia's James Tedesco, New Zealand's Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and England's Elliott Whitehead.

Makinson said: "It is pretty special, even to be nominated, but to come away with it means so much with how much work I have put in."

It caps a meteoric rise to the top of the sport after spending the best part of two agonising seasons in 2015-16 sidelined with a broken ankle and then a damaged ACL shortly after his return.

Makinson said: "I had my injury troubles with two years out of the game and you always question yourself if you can reach the pinnacle of international rugby league.

"It is safe to say I am well on the way now, with people around me like a supportive family, club and national coaches.

"It definitely means a lot.

"I have always rated myself, coming back slowly from those injuries with two good years behind me and felt confident.

"But if you tell someone you are going to win the Golden Boot it doesn't sink in and it is not going to sink in for a while yet."