Lynden Gooch’s strong month of January was marked with a Goal of the Month winner.

The EFL announced Friday that Gooch’s game winning goal against MK Dons won the League One Goal of the Month award. It was Gooch’s first honor this season.

🏆 We'll go ahead and file this under:

📂 Sky Bet League One
└📁 Goal of the Month
└📁 January
└📁 Winner pic.twitter.com/xQBG6hRB7z

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) February 14, 2020

“It is an incredibly proud moment for me,” Gooch said. “It was a great goal and a big one for the team – it’s always nice to score a goal like that. but even better when it’s one that gets you three points.”

Gooch’s strong play has helped the Black Cats to a 6-2-1 record in 2020, propelling them to fifth in the league table. They currently sit in a playoff spot with two-and-a-half months left to play.

The 24-year-old has recorded four goals and one assist in nine appearances this calendar year. Gooch’s midweek brace against Portsmouth moved him to 10 league goals this season, his first career double-digit haul.

Gooch’s continued strong play could see him earn his first USMNT call up since May 2018.

Up next for Sunderland is a trip to Oxford United on Saturday.