OLLIE Devoto admits he’s “gutted’’ he won’t be able to sit his 2014 LV= Breakthrough Player award alongside a winner’s medal from the Anglo-Welsh competition this season.

Devoto, 20, was this week named the winner of the award after a vote, his nomination coming following his performances throughout all four pool stages of this season's LV=Cup.

However, Bath’s participation in the competition came to a disappointing conclusion as Exeter Chiefs claimed an historic 22-19 triumph at the Rec in Sunday’s semi-final.

Devoto, who has excelled at centre for Bath in recent weeks, told the Wiltshire Times: “We’re pretty gutted not to make the LV= Cup final.

“We’re really striving for silverware this season and it was a great game, but all credit to Exeter for getting the win.

“We will keep our concentration on the competitions we are still involved in, like the (Aviva) Premiership and Amlin Challenge Cup.

“It’s our first ‘major’ setback if you like, but if you look at our position in the league, we’ve still go a chance to achieve things, so we can’t dwell on it.

“We can learn from our mistakes and move on to what is next.’’ Devoto award win followed that of Exeter’s Jack Nowell, who won in 2013 and fellow England wing Jonny May, of Gloucester, the 2012 winner, both of whom have starred on the wings for England during this year’s Six Nations Championship.

But Devoto, who chose Sherborne RFC to receive a £1,000 donation from LV= as part of his award win, said: “They’ve both done extremely well but I’m not really looking too far in front of me.

“I’ve been quite fortunate to get some game-time in the last few weeks.

“I played at full-back a bit last year and now looking at things, I have to say I enjoy the centre role.’’

The award was a surprise, but Devoto said he knew something was up when several of his Bath teammates arrived to surprise him with the award at home on Tuesday.

“I live with one of my teammates Rich Lane, who did a great job of keeping it quiet,’’ he added.

“Then Matt Banahan turned up 10 minutes before he should have arrived.

“Then I saw six or seven of the players outside, and I thought ‘something is going on here.’’

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