PFA Players' Player of the Year

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Cristiano Ronaldo won the award in both 2007 and 2008.

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 first winner of the award was Leeds United defender Norman Hunter. The current holder is Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United. As of 2008, only Mark Hughes, Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo have won the award on two occasions. 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.

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]

[edit] Winners

The award has been presented on 35 occasions as of 2008, with 31 different winners.^[7][8][9] 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),^[10] the PFA Fans' Player of the Year award (FPY),^[11] and the PFA Young Player of the Year award (YPY).^[8][9][12]

Andy Gray was the first player to win the Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards in the same season.

Mark Hughes was the first player to win the Player of the Year award twice.

Thierry Henry was the first player to win the award in two consecutive seasons.

Year		Player	Club	Also won	Notes
1973–74	ENG	Hunter, NormanNorman Hunter	Leeds United
1974–75	ENG	Todd, ColinColin Todd	Derby County
1975–76	NIR	Jennings, PatPat Jennings	Tottenham Hotspur		[13]
1976–77	SCO	Gray, AndyAndy Gray	Aston Villa	YPY	[14]
1977–78	ENG	Shilton, PeterPeter Shilton	Nottingham Forest
1978–79	IRE	Brady, LiamLiam Brady	Arsenal		[15]
1979–80	ENG	McDermott, TerryTerry McDermott	Liverpool	FWA	[16]
1980–81	SCO	Wark, JohnJohn Wark	Ipswich Town
1981–82	ENG	Keegan, KevinKevin Keegan	Southampton
1982–83	SCO	Dalglish, KennyKenny Dalglish	Liverpool	FWA
1983–84	WAL	Rush, IanIan Rush	Liverpool	FWA
1984–85	ENG	Reid, PeterPeter Reid	Everton
1985–86	ENG	Lineker, GaryGary Lineker	Everton	FWA
1986–87	ENG	Allen, CliveClive Allen	Tottenham Hotspur	FWA
1987–88	ENG	Barnes, JohnJohn Barnes	Liverpool	FWA
1988–89	WAL	Hughes, MarkMark Hughes	Manchester United
1989–90	ENG	David Platt	Aston Villa
1990–91	WAL	Hughes, MarkMark Hughes	Manchester United		[17]
1991–92	ENG	Pallister, GaryGary Pallister	Manchester United
1992–93	IRE	McGrath, PaulPaul McGrath	Aston Villa
1993–94	FRA	Cantona, EricEric Cantona	Manchester United		[18]
1994–95	ENG	Shearer, AlanAlan Shearer	Blackburn Rovers
1995–96	ENG	Ferdinand, LesLes Ferdinand	Newcastle United
1996–97	ENG	Shearer, AlanAlan Shearer	Newcastle United		[19]
1997–98	NED	Bergkamp, DennisDennis Bergkamp	Arsenal	FWA
1998–99	FRA	Ginola, DavidDavid Ginola	Tottenham Hotspur	FWA
1999–00	IRE	Keane, RoyRoy Keane	Manchester United	FWA
2000–01	ENG	Sheringham, TeddyTeddy Sheringham	Manchester United	FWA
2001–02	NED	van Nistelrooy, RuudRuud van Nistelrooy	Manchester United	FPY
2002–03	FRA	Henry, ThierryThierry Henry	Arsenal	FWA, FPY	[20]
2003–04	FRA	Henry, ThierryThierry Henry	Arsenal	FWA, FPY	[21]
2004–05	ENG	Terry, JohnJohn Terry	Chelsea
2005–06	ENG	Gerrard, StevenSteven Gerrard	Liverpool
2006–07	POR	Ronaldo, CristianoCristiano Ronaldo	Manchester United	FWA, FPY, YPY	[22]
2007–08	POR	Ronaldo, CristianoCristiano Ronaldo	Manchester United	FWA, FPY	[23]

[edit] Breakdown of winners

[edit] Winners by country

Country	Number of wins	Winning years
England	17	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
France	4	1993–94, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2003–04
Republic of Ireland	3	1978–79, 1992–93, 1999–00
Wales	3	1983–84, 1988–89, 1990–91
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

[edit] Winners by club

[edit] See also

• FWA Footballer of the Year
• SPFA Players' Player of the Year
• SFWA Footballer of the Year
• PFAI Players' Player of the Year

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The official website of the Professional Footballers' Association