PFA Young Player of the Year

2016 winner Dele Alli

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 Dele Alli, who won the award for his performances throughout the 2015–16 campaign for Tottenham Hotspur.

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 2015, 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 three 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, because the winner is chosen by his fellow professionals.^[4]

Winners

The award has been presented on 40 occasions as of 2013, with 37 different winners.^[5][6][7] 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),^[6][7][8] the Football Writers' Association's Footballer of the Year award (FWA),^[9] and the PFA Fans' Player of the Year award (FPY).^[10]

Ryan Giggs was the first player to win the award twice.

Robbie Fowler was the second two-time winner.

Steven Gerrard was the first player to win the Fans' Player of the Year award in the same season

Wayne Rooney was the third player to win the award in two consecutive seasons.

Year		Player	Club	Also won	Notes
1973–74		Beattie, KevinKevin Beattie	Ipswich Town
1974–75		Day, MervynMervyn Day	West Ham United		[11]
1975–76		Barnes, PeterPeter Barnes	Manchester City
1976–77		Gray, AndyAndy Gray	Aston Villa	PPY	[12]
1977–78		Woodcock, TonyTony Woodcock	Nottingham Forest
1978–79		Regis, CyrilleCyrille Regis	West Bromwich Albion		[13]
1979–80		Hoddle, GlennGlenn Hoddle	Tottenham Hotspur
1980–81		Shaw, GaryGary Shaw	Aston Villa
1981–82		Moran, SteveSteve Moran	Southampton
1982–83		Ian Rush	Liverpool
1983–84		Walsh, PaulPaul Walsh	Luton Town
1984–85		Hughes, MarkMark Hughes	Manchester United
1985–86		Cottee, TonyTony Cottee	West Ham United
1986–87		Adams, TonyTony Adams	Arsenal
1987–88		Gascoigne, PaulPaul Gascoigne	Newcastle United
1988–89		Merson, PaulPaul Merson	Arsenal
1989–90		Le Tissier, MatthewMatthew Le Tissier	Southampton
1990–91		Sharpe, LeeLee Sharpe	Manchester United
1991–92		Giggs, RyanRyan Giggs	Manchester United
1992–93		Giggs, RyanRyan Giggs	Manchester United		[14]
1993–94		Cole, AndyAndy Cole	Newcastle United
1994–95		Fowler, RobbieRobbie Fowler	Liverpool
1995–96		Fowler, RobbieRobbie Fowler	Liverpool
1996–97		Beckham, DavidDavid Beckham	Manchester United
1997–98		Owen, MichaelMichael Owen	Liverpool
1998–99		Anelka, NicolasNicolas Anelka	Arsenal		[15]
1999–2000		Kewell, HarryHarry Kewell	Leeds United		[16]
2000–01		Gerrard, StevenSteven Gerrard	Liverpool	FPY	[17]
2001–02		Bellamy, CraigCraig Bellamy	Newcastle United		[18]
2002–03		Jenas, JermaineJermaine Jenas	Newcastle United		[19]
2003–04		Parker, ScottScott Parker	Charlton Athletic Chelsea		[20]
2004–05		Rooney, WayneWayne Rooney	Manchester United		[4]
2005–06		Rooney, WayneWayne Rooney	Manchester United	FPY	[6]
2006–07		Ronaldo, CristianoCristiano Ronaldo	Manchester United	PPY, FWA, FPY	[21]
2007–08		Fàbregas, CescCesc Fàbregas	Arsenal		[22]
2008–09		Young, AshleyAshley Young	Aston Villa		[23]
2009–10		Milner, JamesJames Milner	Aston Villa		[24]
2010–11		Wilshere, JackJack Wilshere	Arsenal		[25]
2011–12		Walker, KyleKyle Walker	Tottenham Hotspur		[26]
2012–13		Bale, GarethGareth Bale	Tottenham Hotspur	PPY, FWA
2013–14		Hazard, EdenEden Hazard	Chelsea		[27]
2014–15		Kane, HarryHarry Kane	Tottenham Hotspur		[28]
2015–16		Alli, DeleDele Alli	Tottenham Hotspur		[29]

Breakdown of winners

By country

Country	Number of wins	Winning years
England	31	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, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16
Wales	6	1982–83, 1984–85, 1991–92, 1992–93, 2001–02, 2012–13
Scotland	1	1976–77
France	1	1998–99
Australia	1	1999–2000
Portugal	1	2006–07
Spain	1	2007–08
Belgium	1	2013–14

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
Arsenal	5	1986–87, 1988–89, 1998–99, 2007–08, 2010–11
Liverpool	5	1982–83, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98, 2000–01
Tottenham Hotspur	5	1979–80, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16
Aston Villa	4	1976–77, 1980–81, 2008–09, 2009–10
Newcastle United	4	1987–88, 1993–94, 2001–02, 2002–03
West Ham United	2	1974–75, 1985–86
Southampton	2	1981–82, 1989–90
Chelsea	2	2003–04, 2013–14
Ipswich Town	1	1973–74
Manchester City	1	1975–76
Nottingham Forest	1	1977–78
West Bromwich Albion	1	1978–79
Luton Town	1	1983–84
Leeds United	1	1999–2000

References

1. "England Player Honours – Professional Footballers' Association Young Players of the Year". England Football Online. 19 June 2007. 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. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
4. "Rooney secures young player prize". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 24 April 2005. Retrieved 17 March 2008.
5. Keogh, Frank (20 April 2001). "Too much too young?". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 17 March 2008.
6. "Gerrard named player of the year". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 23 April 2006. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
7. "Ronaldo secures PFA awards double". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 22 April 2007. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
8. "Only here for the peers". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 20 April 2001. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
9. "England – Players Awards". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 4 October 2007. Retrieved 18 March 2008.
10. "PFA's Official Fan's Player of the Year: Previous Winners". The Professional Footballers' Association. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
11. Day is the only goalkeeper to have won the award.
12. First non-English winner, also first player to win two awards in a single season.
13. First winner of the award born outside the United Kingdom, although he went on to become an England international.
14. First player to win the award twice, and first to win the award in two consecutive seasons.
15. First winner of the award from mainland Europe.
16. "Keane claims award double". BBC News (British Broadcasting Corporation). 30 April 2000. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
17. "Sheringham wins second award". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 29 April 2001. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
18. "Players honour Bellamy". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 15 April 2002. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
19. "Henry honoured by peers". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 27 April 2003. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
20. "Henry retains PFA crown". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 25 April 2004. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
21. First player to win four awards in a single season.
22. "Ronaldo named player of the year". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 27 April 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
23. "Giggs earns prestigious PFA award". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 26 April 2009. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
24. "Rooney is PFA player of the year". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 25 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
25. "Spurs' Gareth Bale wins PFA player of the year award". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 17 April 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
26. "Arsenal striker Robin van Persie named PFA Player of the Year". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 22 April 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
27. "Luis Suarez: Liverpool striker wins PFA Player of the Year award". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 27 April 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
28. "Tottenham striker Harry Kane named PFA Young Player of the Year". Goal.com. 26 April 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
29. "Riyad Mahrez: Leicester City forward named PFA Player of the Year". BBC. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

External links

• The official website of the Professional Footballers' Association