Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly have won the men’s and women’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year awards.
The PFA awards serve as a testament to the exceptional skills showcased by these athletes in the realm of English football throughout the year. It is seen as a great honour as it is voted for by other professional players.
23-year-old Haaland won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award ahead of teammates Kevin de Bruyne and John Stones, as well as Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and former Tottenham player Harry Kane, who is now with Bayern Munich.
The Norwegian’s exceptional debut season was highlighted by his remarkable ability to score goals, netting an impressive 52 times in 53 matches across various competitions. His significant contributions played a vital role in Manchester City’s extraordinary achievement of winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League titles.
Rachel Daly on the other hand, secured the PFA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year award, underscoring her substantial contribution with 22 goals in the Women’s Super League.
The PFA Young Player of the Year award was presented to Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, acknowledging his emergence as a promising talent in the sport. He enjoyed an incredible run last season, scoring 14 goals for the Gunners and contributing 11 assists.
Chelsea’s Lauren James was honored as the Young Player of the Year, solidifying the acknowledgment of rising young talents in football.
Arsenal legend, Ian Wright, picked up the men’s PFA Merit award. The 59-year-old, who starred as a striker for Arsenal, Crystal Palace and England, is now a popular broadcaster for the BBC and ITV.
Jill Scott, who won 161 caps for England and retired after the Lionesses won the Euros last summer, received the women’s Merit award. The 36-year-old played for Sunderland, Everton, and Manchester City between 2004 and 2022. As well as her England caps, she also featured for Team GB at London 2012 and again in Tokyo in the summer of 2021.
To mark the awards reaching a half-century, the PFA also handed out individual player prizes for the Championship, League One, and League Two for the first time.
Chuba Akpom was voted as the second-tier’s top player, after top scoring with 28 goals for Middlesbrough. His fine form at Boro earned him a summer move to Dutch side Ajax.
Conor Chaplin, whose 26 goals spearheaded Ipswich’s promotion push from League One, won that division’s award, while Bradford’s Andy Cook was League Two’s Players’ Player of the Year.
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