PFA Player of the Year award history and notable recipients

The PFA Men’s Players’ Player of the Year is an annual award determined by a poll from the Professional Footballers’ Association, the players’ trade union. Since its inception in the 1973–74 season, the award has recognized the finest players in English football.

Notable historical achievements include players such as Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Kevin De Bruyne, Mark Hughes, Alan Shearer, and Mohamed Salah, who have each won the prize twice. Only Henry, Ronaldo, and De Bruyne have secured the award in consecutive seasons. Andy Gray, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Gareth Bale are the only players to have won both the senior Player of the Year and the Premier League Young Player of the Year in the same season.

Discussions surrounding the award often highlight players who were perceived to be overlooked by voters. Examples include Manchester City’s David Silva and Sergio Aguero, as well as Manchester United’s Paul Scholes, who were noted for their significant contributions to the league despite not receiving the honor.