The ESPN Professional Footballers' Association Fans' Player of the Year (often called the PFA Fans' Player of the Year, or simply the Fans' Player of the Year) award is given to footballers in the top four flights of English football, the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two.[1]
The shortlist is compiled by the members of the Professional Footballers' Association (the PFA), and then the winner is voted for by the fans of the league. The prize is relatively highly regarded as it is voted for by the fans.
The award was first given in 2001, and was won by Steven Gerrard, Chris Bart-Williams, Brian Tinnion and Bobby Zamora, of Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Bristol City and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively. The most recent winners of the award are Raul Meireles, Danny Graham, Peter Clarke and Cody McDonald, of Liverpool, Watford, Huddersfield Town and Gillingham (on loan) respectively.[2]
Contents |
Highlighted players are winning the award for a second time.
| League | Player | Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FA Premiership | Steven Gerrard | Liverpool | First winner of the award in the FA Premiership Winning the award in addition to the Young Player of the Year award |
| First Division | Chris Bart-Williams | Nottingham Forest | First winner of the award in the First Division |
| Second Division | Brian Tinnion | Bristol City | First winner of the award in the Second Division |
| Third Division | Bobby Zamora | Brighton & Hove Albion | First winner of the award in the Third Division |
| League | Player | Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FA Premiership | Ruud van Nistelrooy | Manchester United | First winner of the award from outside of England First winner of the award from outside of Great Britain First winner of the award from outside of the United Kingdom First winner of the award from outside of the British Isles Winning the award in addition to the Players' Player of the Year award |
| First Division | Dean Sturridge | Wolverhampton Wanderers | |
| Second Division | Bobby Zamora | Brighton & Hove Albion | First two-time winner of the award First two-time winner of the award in two different leagues |
| Third Division | Matthew Taylor | Luton Town |
| League | Player | Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FA Premiership | Thierry Henry | Arsenal | Winning the award in addition to the Players' Player of the Year award Winning the award in addition to the FWA Footballer of the Year award |
| First Division | Linvoy Primus | Portsmouth | |
| Second Division | Robert Earnshaw | Cardiff City | |
| Third Division | Leon Britton | Swansea City |
| League | Player | Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FA Premiership | Thierry Henry | Arsenal | First winner of the award for two consecutive seasons First player to win three awards for two consecutive seasons Winning the award in addition to the Players' Player of the Year award Winning the award in addition to the FWA Footballer of the Year award |
| First Division | Darren Huckerby | Norwich City | |
| Second Division | Neil Moss | Bournemouth | |
| Third Division | Lee Harper | Northampton Town |
| League | Player | Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FA Premier League | Frank Lampard | Chelsea | Winning the award in addition to the FWA Footballer of the Year award |
| Championship | Paul McKenna | Preston North End | |
| League One | Keith Southern | Blackpool | |
| League Two | Adam Barrett | Southend United |
| League | Player | Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FA Premier League | Wayne Rooney | Manchester United | Winning the award in addition to the Young Player of the Year award |
| Championship | Kevin Doyle | Reading | |
| League One | Darryl Flahavan | Southend United | |
| League Two | Karl Hawley | Carlisle United |
| League | Player | Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United | First player to win all four main awards in the same year First player to win all three PFA awards in the same year Winning the award in addition to the Players' Player of the Year award Winning the award in addition to the FWA Footballer of the Year award Winning the award in addition to the Young Player of the Year award |
| Championship | Matthew Murray | Wolverhampton Wanderers | |
| League One | Billy Sharp | Scunthorpe United | |
| League Two | Lee Peacock | Swindon Town |
| League | Player | Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United | Winning the award in addition to the Players' Player of the Year award Winning the award in addition to the FWA Footballer of the Year award |
| Championship | James Beattie | Sheffield United | |
| League One | Jay Simpson | Millwall (on loan from Arsenal) | First winner of award whilst on loan at another club |
| League Two | Jack Lester | Chesterfield |
| League | Player | Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | Steven Gerrard | Liverpool | Winning the award in addition to the FWA Footballer of the Year award |
| Championship | Marcus Tudgay | Sheffield Wednesday | |
| League One | Jermaine Beckford | Leeds United | |
| League Two | Jordan Rhodes | Brentford (On loan from Ipswich Town) |
| League | Player | Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | Wayne Rooney | Manchester United | Winning the award in addition to the Players' Player of the Year award Winning the award in addition to the FWA Footballer of the Year award |
| Championship | Graham Dorrans | West Bromwich Albion | |
| League One | Rickie Lambert | Southampton | |
| League Two | Kasper Schmeichel | Notts County |
| League | Player | Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | Raul Meireles | Liverpool | |
| Championship | Danny Graham | Watford | |
| League One | Peter Clarke | Huddersfield Town | |
| League Two | Cody McDonald | Gillingham |
| Club | Premier League | Championship/First Division | League One/Second Division | League Two/Third Division | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United | 5 (2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 3 (2001, 2009, 2011) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 2 (2003, 2004) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 1 (2005) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0 | 2 (2002, 2007) | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | West Bromwich Albion | 0 | 1 (2010) | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Sheffield Wednesday | 0 | 1 (2009) | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Sheffield United | 0 | 1 (2008) | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Reading | 0 | 1 (2006) | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Preston North End | 0 | 1 (2005) | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Norwich City | 0 | 1 (2004) | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Portsmouth | 0 | 1 (2003) | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Nottingham Forest | 0 | 1 (2001) | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Southampton | 0 | 0 | 1 (2010) | 0 |
| 15 | Leeds United | 0 | 0 | 1 (2009) | 0 |
| 16 | Southend United | 0 | 0 | 1 (2006) | 1 (2005) |
| 17 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | 0 | 1 (2002) | 1 (2001) |
| 18 | Millwall | 0 | 0 | 1 (2008) | 0 |
| 19 | Scunthorpe United | 0 | 0 | 1 (2007) | 0 |
| 20 | Blackpool | 0 | 0 | 1 (2005) | 0 |
| 21 | Bournemouth | 0 | 0 | 1 (2004) | 0 |
| 22 | Cardiff City | 0 | 0 | 1 (2003) | 0 |
| 23 | Bristol City | 0 | 0 | 1 (2001) | 0 |
| 24 | Notts County | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2010) |
| 25 | Brentford | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2009) |
| 26 | Chesterfield | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2008) |
| 27 | Swindon Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2007) |
| 28 | Carlisle United | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2006) |
| 29 | Northampton Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2004) |
| 30 | Swansea City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2003) |
| 31 | Luton Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2002) |
| Country | Premier League | Championship/First Division | League One/Second Division | League Two/Third Division | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 5 (2001, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010) | 8 (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009) | 9 (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010) | 9 (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009) |
| 2 | Portugal | 3 (2007, 2008, 2011) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | France | 2 (2003, 2004) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Netherlands | 1 (2002) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Republic of Ireland | 0 | 1 (2006) | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Scotland | 0 | 1 (2010) | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Wales | 0 | 0 | 1 (2003) | 0 |
| 8 | Denmark | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2010) |
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