PFA Players' Player of the Year
Annual award
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The Professional Footballers' Association Men's Players' Player of the Year (often called the PFA Men's 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 Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, who is also the first player to have won the award three times.[3]
2025 winner Mohamed Salah | |
| Sport | Association football |
|---|---|
| Competition | All levels of English football |
| Country | England and Wales |
| Presented by | PFA |
| History | |
| First award | 1973–74 |
| Editions | 52 |
| First winner | Norman Hunter |
| Most wins | Mohamed Salah (3) |
| Most recent | Mohamed Salah (2025) |
| Website | Official website |
The first winner of the award was Leeds United defender Norman Hunter. As of 2025, only Mohamed Salah has won the award on three occasions, and only Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kevin De Bruyne have won the award in consecutive seasons. Of the seven players to have won multiple awards, only Alan Shearer won his two awards playing for different teams. Although there is a separate PFA Young Player of the Year award, young players remain eligible to win the senior award, and on three occasions the same player has won both awards for a season, Andy Gray in 1976–77, Ronaldo in 2006–07 and Bale in 2012–13. Only three non-European players have won the award: Luis Suárez (Uruguay) in 2013–14, Riyad Mahrez (Algeria) in 2015–16, and Mohamed Salah (Egypt) in 2017–18, 2021–22 and 2024–25.
Every spring, each member of the association votes for two players.[4] 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.[5] 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",[6] 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".[7]
Winners
The award has been presented on 52 occasions as of 2025, with 44 different winners.[8][9][10][11] The women's award has been presented since 2013, with nine different winners.[12] 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),[13]
- the PFA Fans' Player of the Year award (FPY),[14]
- the PFA Young Player of the Year award (YPY),[9][10][15]
- the Premier League Player of the Season award (PPS),[16]
- the Premier League Young Player of the Season award (PYS)
- and the Football Supporters’ Association Player of the Year award (FSA).[17]
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Breakdown of winners
By country
| Country | Number of wins | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
 England | 19 | 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, 2023–24 |
 Wales | 6 | 1983–84, 1988–89, 1990–91, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13 |
 France | 5 | 1993–94, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2016–17 |
 Netherlands | 4 | 1997–98, 2001–02, 2011–12, 2018–19 |
 Scotland | 3 | 1976–77, 1980–81, 1982–83 |
 Republic of Ireland | 3 | 1978–79, 1992–93, 1999–2000 |
 Egypt | 3 | 2017–18, 2021–22, 2024–25 |
 Belgium | 3 | 2014–15, 2019–20, 2020–21 |
 Portugal | 2 | 2006–07, 2007–08 |
 Northern Ireland | 1 | 1975–76 |
 Uruguay | 1 | 2013–14 |
 Algeria | 1 | 2015–16 |
 Norway | 1 | 2022–23 |
By club
| Club | Number of wins | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 11 | 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10 |
| Liverpool | 10 | 1979–80, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1987–88, 2005–06, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2024–25 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 5 | 1975–76, 1986–87, 1998–99, 2010–11, 2012–13 |
| Arsenal | 5 | 1978–79, 1997–98, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2011–12 |
| Manchester City | 4 | 2019–20, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023–24 |
| Chelsea | 3 | 2004–05, 2014–15, 2016–17 |
| Aston Villa | 3 | 1976–77, 1989–90, 1992–93 |
| Everton | 2 | 1984–85, 1985–86 |
| Newcastle United | 2 | 1995–96, 1996–97 |
| Leeds United | 1 | 1973–74 |
| Derby County | 1 | 1974–75 |
| Nottingham Forest | 1 | 1977–78 |
| Ipswich Town | 1 | 1980–81 |
| Southampton | 1 | 1981–82 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 1 | 1994–95 |
| Leicester City | 1 | 2015–16 |