PFA Players' Player of the Year

The Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year (often called the PFA Players' Player of the Year, the Players' Player of the Year, or simply the Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the year in English football.[1] The award has been presented since the 1973–74 season and the winner is chosen by a vote amongst the members of the players' trade union, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA).[2]

The current holder is Gareth Bale of Tottenham Hotspur. The first winner of the award was Leeds United defender Norman Hunter. As of 2011, only Mark Hughes, Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo have won the award on two occasions, and only Henry and Ronaldo have won the award in consecutive seasons. Of the four, only Shearer won his awards playing for two different teams. Although there is a separate PFA Young Player of the Year award for players under the age of 23, young players remain eligible to win the senior award, and on two occasions the same player has won both awards for a season, Andy Gray in 1976–77 and Ronaldo in 2006–07.

Every Spring, each member of the association votes for two players.[3] A shortlist of nominees is published in April and the winner of the award, along with the winners of the PFA's other annual awards, is announced at a gala event in London a few days later.[4] The award is regarded by the players themselves as extremely prestigious, with Teddy Sheringham describing it in 2001 as "the biggest personal award you can get in the game",[5] and John Terry stating in 2005 that he considered it "the ultimate accolade to be voted for by your fellow professionals whom you play against week-in and week-out".[6]

Contents

Winners

The award has been presented on 38 occasions as of 2011, with 34 different winners.[7][8][9][10] The table also indicates where the winning player also won one or more of the other major "player of the year" awards in English football, namely the Football Writers' Association's Footballer of the Year award (FWA),[11] the PFA Fans' Player of the Year award (FPY),[12] and the PFA Young Player of the Year award (YPY).[8][9][13]

Year Player Club Also won Notes
1973–74 Hunter, NormanNorman Hunter Leeds United
1974–75 Todd, ColinColin Todd Derby County
1975–76 Jennings, PatPat Jennings Tottenham Hotspur [14]
1976–77 Gray, AndyAndy Gray Aston Villa YPY [15]
1977–78 Shilton, PeterPeter Shilton Nottingham Forest
1978–79 Brady, LiamLiam Brady Arsenal [16]
1979–80 McDermott, TerryTerry McDermott Liverpool FWA [17]
1980–81 Wark, JohnJohn Wark Ipswich Town
1981–82 Keegan, KevinKevin Keegan Southampton
1982–83 Dalglish, KennyKenny Dalglish Liverpool FWA
1983–84 Rush, IanIan Rush Liverpool FWA
1984–85 Reid, PeterPeter Reid Everton
1985–86 Lineker, GaryGary Lineker Everton FWA
1986–87 Allen, CliveClive Allen Tottenham Hotspur FWA
1987–88 Barnes, JohnJohn Barnes Liverpool FWA
1988–89 Hughes, MarkMark Hughes Manchester United
1989–90 Platt, DavidDavid Platt Aston Villa
1990–91 Hughes, MarkMark Hughes Manchester United [18]
1991–92 Pallister, GaryGary Pallister Manchester United
1992–93 McGrath, PaulPaul McGrath Aston Villa
1993–94 Cantona, EricEric Cantona Manchester United [19]
1994–95 Shearer, AlanAlan Shearer Blackburn Rovers
1995–96 Ferdinand, LesLes Ferdinand Newcastle United
1996–97 Shearer, AlanAlan Shearer Newcastle United [20]
1997–98 Bergkamp, DennisDennis Bergkamp Arsenal FWA
1998–99 Ginola, DavidDavid Ginola Tottenham Hotspur FWA
1999–00 Keane, RoyRoy Keane Manchester United FWA
2000–01 Sheringham, TeddyTeddy Sheringham Manchester United FWA
2001–02 van Nistelrooy, RuudRuud van Nistelrooy Manchester United FPY
2002–03 Henry, ThierryThierry Henry Arsenal FWA, FPY [21]
2003–04 Henry, ThierryThierry Henry Arsenal FWA, FPY [22]
2004–05 Terry, JohnJohn Terry Chelsea
2005–06 Gerrard, StevenSteven Gerrard Liverpool
2006–07 Ronaldo, CristianoCristiano Ronaldo Manchester United FWA, FPY, YPY [23]
2007–08 Ronaldo, CristianoCristiano Ronaldo Manchester United FWA, FPY [24]
2008–09 Giggs, RyanRyan Giggs Manchester United [25]
2009–10 Rooney, WayneWayne Rooney Manchester United FWA, FPY [10]
2010–11 Bale, GarethGareth Bale Tottenham Hotspur [26]

Breakdown of winners

Winners by country

Country Number of wins Winning years
England
18
 1973–74, 1974–75, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10
Wales
5
 1983–84, 1988–89, 1990–91, 2008–09, 2010-11
France
4
 1993–94, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2003–04
Republic of Ireland
3
 1978–79, 1992–93, 1999–00
Scotland
3
 1976–77, 1980–81, 1982–83
Netherlands
2
 1997–98, 2001–02
Portugal
2
 2006–07, 2007–08
Northern Ireland
1
 1975–76

Winners by club

Club Number of wins Winning years
Manchester United
11
 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10
Liverpool
5
 1979–80, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1987–88, 2005–06
Arsenal
4
 1978–79, 1997–98, 2002–03, 2003–04
Tottenham Hotspur
4
 1975–76, 1986–87, 1998–99, 2010–11
Aston Villa
3
 1976–77, 1989–90, 1992–93
Newcastle United
2
 1995–96, 1996–97
Everton
2
 1984–85, 1985–86
Chelsea
1
 2004–05
Blackburn Rovers
1
 1994–95
Southampton
1
 1981–82
Ipswich Town
1
 1980–81
Nottingham Forest
1
 1977–78
Derby County
1
 1974–75
Leeds United
1
 1973–74

References

  1. ^ "England Player Honours – Professional Footballers' Association Players' Players of the Year". England Football Online. 19 June 2007. http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamHons/HonsPFAPlyr.html. Retrieved 14 March 2008. 
  2. ^ "Ronaldo picks up the double". The Daily Mail (London). 23 April 2007. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_page_id=1779&in_article_id=450020. Retrieved 14 March 2008. 
  3. ^ "Gerrard named player of the year". BBC. 23 April 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4935884.stm. Retrieved 14 March 2008. 
  4. ^ "United trio lead nominations for PFA award". The Times (London). 16 April 2007. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article1660489.ece. Retrieved 14 March 2008. 
  5. ^ "Sheringham wins second award". BBC. 29 April 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/1303164.stm. Retrieved 14 March 2008. 
  6. ^ "Terry claims player of year award". BBC. 24 April 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/4478329.stm. Retrieved 24 March 2008. 
  7. ^ "Only here for the peers". BBC. 20 April 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/1287470.stm. Retrieved 14 March 2008. 
  8. ^ a b "Gerrard named player of the year". BBC. 23 April 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4935884.stm. Retrieved 14 March 2008. 
  9. ^ a b "Ronaldo secures PFA awards double". BBC. 22 April 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6582201.stm. Retrieved 14 March 2008. 
  10. ^ a b "Rooney is PFA player of the year". BBC. 25 April 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8643305.stm. Retrieved 25 April 2010. 
  11. ^ "England – Players Awards". RSSSF. 4 October 2007. http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/engpoy.html. Retrieved 18 March 2008. 
  12. ^ "PFA's Official Fan's Player of the Year: Previous Winners". The Professional Footballers' Association. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080220145853/http://www.givemefootball.com/rolls_of_honour/fansplayerofyearroll.html. Retrieved 14 March 2008. 
  13. ^ Frank Keogh (20 April 2001). "Too much too young?". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/1287799.stm. Retrieved 17 March 2008. 
  14. ^ First non–English winner, also first player to win both the PFA and FWA awards, having won the FWA award in 1973.
  15. ^ First player to win two awards in a single season.
  16. ^ First winner from outside the United Kingdom.
  17. ^ First player to win both PFA and FWA awards in the same season.
  18. ^ First player to win the award twice.
  19. ^ First winner of the award from outside the British Isles.
  20. ^ First player to win the award with two different clubs.
  21. ^ First player to win three awards in a single season.
  22. ^ First player to win the award in two consecutive seasons.
  23. ^ First player to win four awards in a single season.
  24. ^ "Ronaldo named player of the year". BBC. 27 April 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7370319.stm. Retrieved 28 April 2009. 
  25. ^ Stafford, Mikey (26 April 2009). "Ryan Giggs pays tribute to manager after adding another trophy to cabinet". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/apr/26/premierleague-manchester-united. Retrieved 26 April 2009. 
  26. ^ "Spurs' Gareth Bale wins PFA player of the year award". BBC. 17 April 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13110874.stm. Retrieved 18 April 2011. 

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