PFA Young Player of the Year

Cesc Fàbregas was the 2008 award winner.

The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year (often called the PFA Young Player of the Year, or simply the Young Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season 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). The first winner of the award was Ipswich Town defender Kevin Beattie. The current holder is James Milner, who won the award while playing for Aston Villa.

Although the award is open to players at all levels,[1] all winners to date have played in the highest division of the English football league system. As of 2008, only Ryan Giggs, Robbie Fowler and Wayne Rooney have won the award on more than one occasion. Only five players from outside the United Kingdom have won the trophy,[2] compared with nine winners of the main PFA Players' Player of the Year award. Although they have their own dedicated award, players aged 23 or under at the start of the season remain eligible to win the Players' Player of the Year award, and on two occasions the same player has won both awards for a season.

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.[3] The players themselves consider the award to be highly prestigious, due to the fact that the winner is chosen by his fellow professionals. [4][5]

Contents

Winners

The award has been presented on 35 occasions as of 2008, with 32 different winners.[6][7][8] 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 PFA Players' Player of the Year award (PPY),[9][10][11] the Football Writers' Association's Footballer of the Year award (FWA),[12] and the PFA Fans' Player of the Year award (FPY).[13]

Ryan Giggs was the first player to win the award twice.
Robbie Fowler was the second two-time winner.
Wayne Rooney was the third player to win the award in two consecutive seasons.
Year Player Club Also won Notes
1973–74 England Beattie, KevinKevin Beattie Ipswich Town
1974–75 England Day, MervynMervyn Day West Ham United [14]
1975–76 England Barnes, PeterPeter Barnes Manchester City
1976–77 Scotland Gray, AndyAndy Gray Aston Villa PPY [15]
1977–78 England Woodcock, TonyTony Woodcock Nottingham Forest
1978–79 England Regis, CyrilleCyrille Regis West Bromwich Albion [16]
1979–80 England Hoddle, GlennGlenn Hoddle Tottenham Hotspur
1980–81 England Shaw, GaryGary Shaw Aston Villa
1981–82 England Moran, SteveSteve Moran Southampton
1982–83 Wales Ian Rush Liverpool
1983–84 England Walsh, PaulPaul Walsh Luton Town
1984–85 Wales Hughes, MarkMark Hughes Manchester United
1985–86 England Cottee, TonyTony Cottee West Ham United
1986–87 England Adams, TonyTony Adams Arsenal
1987–88 England Gascoigne, PaulPaul Gascoigne Newcastle United
1988–89 England Merson, PaulPaul Merson Arsenal
1989–90 England Le Tissier, MatthewMatthew Le Tissier Southampton
1990–91 England Sharpe, LeeLee Sharpe Manchester United
1991–92 Wales Giggs, RyanRyan Giggs Manchester United
1992–93 Wales Giggs, RyanRyan Giggs Manchester United [17]
1993–94 England Cole, AndyAndy Cole Newcastle United
1994–95 England Fowler, RobbieRobbie Fowler Liverpool
1995–96 England Fowler, RobbieRobbie Fowler Liverpool
1996–97 England Beckham, DavidDavid Beckham Manchester United
1997–98 England Owen, MichaelMichael Owen Liverpool
1998–99 France Anelka, NicolasNicolas Anelka Arsenal [18]
1999–00 Australia Kewell, HarryHarry Kewell Leeds United
2000–01 England Gerrard, StevenSteven Gerrard Liverpool FPY
2001–02 Wales Bellamy, CraigCraig Bellamy Newcastle United
2002–03 England Jenas, JermaineJermaine Jenas Newcastle United
2003–04 England Parker, ScottScott Parker Charlton Athletic/Chelsea
2004–05 England Rooney, WayneWayne Rooney Manchester United
2005–06 England Rooney, WayneWayne Rooney Manchester United FPY
2006–07 Portugal Ronaldo, CristianoCristiano Ronaldo Manchester United PPY, FWA, FPY [19]
2007–08 Spain Fàbregas, CescCesc Fàbregas Arsenal [20]
2008–09 England Young, AshleyAshley Young Aston Villa [21]
2009–10 England Milner, JamesJames Milner Aston Villa [22]

Breakdown of winners

Winners by country

Country Number of wins Winning years
England England
27
 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1993–94, 1995, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10
Wales Wales
5
 1982–83, 1984–85, 1991–92, 1992–93, 2001–02
Scotland Scotland
1
 1976–77
France France
1
 1998–99
Australia Australia
1
 1999–00
Portugal Portugal
1
 2006–07
Spain Spain
1
 2007–08

Winners by club

Club Number of wins Winning years
Manchester United
8
 1984–85, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1996–97, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07
Liverpool
5
 1982–83, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98, 2000–01
Newcastle United
4
 1987–88, 1993–94, 2001–02, 2002–03
Arsenal
4
 1986–87, 1988–89, 1998–99, 2007–08
Aston Villa
4
 1976–77, 1980–81, 2008–09, 2009–10
West Ham United
2
 1974–75, 1985–86
Southampton
2
 1981–82, 1989–90
Ipswich Town
1
 1973–74
Manchester City
1
 1975–76
Nottingham Forest
1
 1977–78
West Bromwich Albion
1
 1978–79
Tottenham Hotspur
1
 1979–80
Luton Town
1
 1983–84
Leeds United
1
 1999–00
Charlton Athletic
1
 2003–04
Chelsea
1
 2003–04

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "England Player Honours – Professional Footballers' Association Young Players of the Year". England Football Online. 19 June 2007. http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamHons/HonsPFAYngPlyr.html. Retrieved 15 March 2008. 
  2. ↑ The total of five includes Cyrille Regis, who was born in French Guiana but represented England at international level.
  3. ↑ "United trio lead nominations for PFA award". The Times. 16 April 2007. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article1660489.ece. Retrieved 14 March 2008. 
  4. ↑ "Rooney secures young player prize". BBC. 24 April 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/4478367.stm. Retrieved 17 March 2008. 
  5. ↑ Neil Silver (28 April 2003). "Football: Henry is PFA's player of the year". The Independent. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20030428/ai_n12693741. Retrieved 26 March 2008. 
  6. ↑ Frank Keogh (20 April 2001). "Too much too young?". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/1287799.stm. Retrieved 17 March 2008. 
  7. ↑ "Gerrard named player of the year". BBC. 23 April 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4935884.stm. Retrieved 14 March 2008. 
  8. ↑ "Ronaldo secures PFA awards double". BBC. 22 April 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6582201.stm. Retrieved 14 March 2008. 
  9. ↑ "Only here for the peers". BBC. 20 April 2001. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/1287470.stm. Retrieved 14 March 2008. 
  10. ↑ "Gerrard named player of the year". BBC. 23 April 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/4935884.stm. Retrieved 14 March 2008. 
  11. ↑ "Ronaldo secures PFA awards double". BBC. 22 April 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6582201.stm. Retrieved 14 March 2008. 
  12. ↑ "England – Players Awards". RSSSF. 4 October 2007. http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/engpoy.html. Retrieved 18 March 2008. 
  13. ↑ "PFA's Official Fan's Player of the Year: Previous Winners". The Professional Footballers' Association. http://www.givemefootball.com/rolls_of_honour/fansplayerofyearroll.html. Retrieved 14 March 2008. 
  14. ↑ Day is the only goalkeeper to have won the award.
  15. ↑ First non-English winner, also first player to win two awards in a single season.
  16. ↑ First winner of the award born outside the United Kingdom, although he went on to become an England international.
  17. ↑ First player to win the award twice, and first to win the award in two consecutive seasons.
  18. ↑ First winner of the award from mainland Europe.
  19. ↑ First player to win four awards in a single season.
  20. ↑ "Ronaldo named player of the year". BBC. 27 April 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7370319.stm. Retrieved 28 April 2008. 
  21. ↑ "Young named young player of the year". Goal.com. 27 April 2009. http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2009/04/26/1231624/breaking-news-aston-villa-winger-ashley-young-named-pfa-young-pla. Retrieved 27 April 2009. 
  22. ↑ "Milner Takes Young Player Prize". Skysports.com. 25 April 2010. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6116425,00.html. Retrieved 25 April 2010. 

External links

Awards in English football
All time
100 League Legends · Hall of Fame
Premier League
Manager of the Year · Manager of the Month · Player of the Month · Winner's Medal · Golden Boot · Golden Glove · 10 Seasons Awards
Football League
Championship Golden Boot · Manager of the Month: Championship · League One · League Two · First Division (defunct) · Second Division (defunct)
Professional Footballers' Association (PFA)
Players' Player of the Year · Fans' Player of the Year · Young Player of the Year · Team of the Year · Merit Award
League Managers Association (LMA)
Manager of the Year
Football Writers' Association (FWA)
Footballer of the Year · Tribute Award
Match of the Day (BBC Television)
Goal of the Month · Goal of the Season
British honours system
Football personalities with British honours · Football players and officials awarded knighthoods