Annual award
The Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year (often called the FWA Footballer of the Year , or in England simply the Footballer of the Year ) is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football .[ 1] The award has been presented since the 1947–48 season, with the inaugural winner being Blackpool winger Stanley Matthews . The latest winner of the award as of 2023–24 is Phil Foden of Manchester City . Nine players have won the award on more than one occasion, with Thierry Henry having won the award on the most occasions, with three wins in four seasons.
The winner is selected by a vote amongst the members of the Football Writers' Association (FWA), which comprises around 400 football journalists based throughout England .[ 2] The award was instigated at the suggestion of Charles Buchan , a former professional footballer turned journalist and one of the Association's founders.[ 3]
The award has been presented on 77 occasions as of 2024, to 68 players. On one occasion two players shared the award for a season.[ 4] 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 Professional Footballers' Association's Players' Player of the Year award (PPY),[ 5] [ 6] [ 7] Fans' Player of the Year award (FPY),[ 8] the Young Player of the Year award (YPY),[ 6] [ 7] [ 9] the Premier League Player of the Season award (PPS),[ 10] the Premier League Young Player of the Season award (PYPS),[ 10] and the Football Supporters' Association Player of the Year (FSA).[ 11] [ 12]
Neville Southall 's 1985 win was the last time a goalkeeper received the award.
Dennis Bergkamp won the award in the 1997–98 season.
Thierry Henry was the first player to win the award in two consecutive seasons.
Cristiano Ronaldo also won the award consecutively, in the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons.
Steven Gerrard won the award in 2009, becoming the first Liverpool player to do so for nineteen years.
Winners of the FWA Footballer of the Year
Year
Player
Club
Also won
Notes
1947–48
Stanley Matthews
Blackpool
1948–49
Johnny Carey
Manchester United
[ 13]
1949–50
Joe Mercer
Arsenal
1950–51
Harry Johnston
Blackpool
1951–52
Billy Wright
Wolverhampton Wanderers
1952–53
Nat Lofthouse
Bolton Wanderers
1953–54
Tom Finney
Preston North End
1954–55
Don Revie
Manchester City
1955–56
Bert Trautmann
Manchester City
1956–57
Tom Finney (2)
Preston North End
[ 14]
1957–58
Danny Blanchflower
Tottenham Hotspur
1958–59
Syd Owen
Luton Town
1959–60
Bill Slater
Wolverhampton Wanderers
1960–61
Danny Blanchflower (2)
Tottenham Hotspur
1961–62
Jimmy Adamson
Burnley
1962–63
Stanley Matthews (2)
Stoke City
[ 15]
1963–64
Bobby Moore
West Ham United
1964–65
Bobby Collins
Leeds United
1965–66
Bobby Charlton
Manchester United
1966–67
Jack Charlton
Leeds United
1967–68
George Best
Manchester United
1968–69
Tony Book Dave Mackay
Manchester City Derby County
1969–70
Billy Bremner
Leeds United
1970–71
Frank McLintock
Arsenal
1971–72
Gordon Banks
Stoke City
1972–73
Pat Jennings
Tottenham Hotspur
[ 16]
1973–74
Ian Callaghan
Liverpool
1974–75
Alan Mullery
Fulham
1975–76
Kevin Keegan
Liverpool
1976–77
Emlyn Hughes
Liverpool
1977–78
Kenny Burns
Nottingham Forest
1978–79
Kenny Dalglish
Liverpool
1979–80
Terry McDermott
Liverpool
PPY
[ 17]
1980–81
Frans Thijssen
Ipswich Town
1981–82
Steve Perryman
Tottenham Hotspur
1982–83
Kenny Dalglish (2)
Liverpool
PPY
1983–84
Ian Rush
Liverpool
PPY
1984–85
Neville Southall
Everton
1985–86
Gary Lineker
Everton
PPY
1986–87
Clive Allen
Tottenham Hotspur
PPY
1987–88
John Barnes
Liverpool
PPY
1988–89
Steve Nicol
Liverpool
1989–90
John Barnes (2)
Liverpool
1990–91
Gordon Strachan
Leeds United
1991–92
Gary Lineker (2)
Tottenham Hotspur
1992–93
Chris Waddle
Sheffield Wednesday
1993–94
Alan Shearer
Blackburn Rovers
1994–95
Jürgen Klinsmann
Tottenham Hotspur
1995–96
Eric Cantona
Manchester United
1996–97
Gianfranco Zola
Chelsea
1997–98
Dennis Bergkamp
Arsenal
PPY
1998–99
David Ginola
Tottenham Hotspur
PPY
1999–2000
Roy Keane
Manchester United
PPY
2000–01
Teddy Sheringham
Manchester United
PPY
2001–02
Robert Pires
Arsenal
2002–03
Thierry Henry
Arsenal
PPY, FPY
2003–04
Thierry Henry (2)
Arsenal
PPY, FPY, PPS
[ 18]
2004–05
Frank Lampard
Chelsea
FPY, PPS
[ 19]
2005–06
Thierry Henry (3)
Arsenal
PPS
[ 20]
2006–07
Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United
PPY, FPY, YPY, PPS
[ 21]
2007–08
Cristiano Ronaldo (2)
Manchester United
PPY, FPY, PPS
2008–09
Steven Gerrard
Liverpool
FPY
[ 22]
2009–10
Wayne Rooney
Manchester United
PPY, FPY, PPS
[ 23]
2010–11
Scott Parker
West Ham United
[ 24]
2011–12
Robin van Persie
Arsenal
PPY, FPY
[ 25]
2012–13
Gareth Bale
Tottenham Hotspur
PPY, YPY, PPS
[ 26]
2013–14
Luis Suárez
Liverpool
PPY, FPY, PPS, FSA
[ 11]
2014–15
Eden Hazard
Chelsea
PPY, PPS
[ 27]
2015–16
Jamie Vardy
Leicester City
PPS
[ 28]
2016–17
N'Golo Kanté
Chelsea
PPY, PPS
[ 29]
2017–18
Mohamed Salah
Liverpool
PPY, FPY, PPS, FSA
[ 30]
2018–19
Raheem Sterling
Manchester City
YPY
[ 31]
2019–20
Jordan Henderson
Liverpool
[ 32]
2020–21
Rúben Dias
Manchester City
PPS
[ 33]
2021–22
Mohamed Salah (2)
Liverpool
PPY, FPY
[ 34]
2022–23
Erling Haaland
Manchester City
PPY, PPS, PYPS
[ 35]
2023–24
Phil Foden
Manchester City
PPY, PPS
[ 36]
Breakdown of winners [ edit ]
The trophy awarded to the Footballer of the Year from 2015 onwards
Winners of the FWA Footballer of the Year by country
Country
Number of wins
Winning years
England
39
1947–48 , 1949–50 , 1950–51 , 1951–52 , 1952–53 , 1953–54 , 1954–55 , 1956–57 , 1958–59 , 1959–60 , 1961–62 , 1962–63 , 1963–64 , 1965–66 , 1966–67 , 1968–69 ‡ , 1971–72 , 1973–74 , 1974–75 , 1975–76 , 1976–77 , 1979–80 , 1981–82 , 1985–86 , 1986–87 , 1987–88 , 1989–90 , 1991–92 , 1992–93 , 1993–94 , 2000–01 , 2004–05 , 2008–09 , 2009–10 , 2010–11 , 2015–16 , 2018–19 , 2019–20 , 2023-24
Scotland
9
1964–65 , 1968–69 ‡ , 1969–70 , 1970–71 , 1977–78 , 1978–79 , 1982–83 , 1988–89 , 1990–91
France
7
1995–96 , 1998–99 , 2001–02 , 2002–03 , 2003–04 , 2005–06 , 2016–17
Northern Ireland
4
1957–58 , 1960–61 , 1967–68 , 1972–73
Netherlands
3
1980–81 , 1997–98 , 2011–12
Wales
3
1983–84 , 1984–85 , 2012–13
Portugal
3
2006–07 , 2007–08 , 2020–21
Egypt
2
2017–18 , 2021–22
West Germany / Germany
2
1955–56 , 1994–95
Republic of Ireland
2
1948–49 , 1999–2000
Italy
1
1996–97
Uruguay
1
2013–14
Belgium
1
2014–15
Norway
1
2022–23
‡ — two winners
Winners of the FWA Footballer of the Year by club
Club
Number of wins
Winning years
Liverpool
15
1973–74 , 1975–76 , 1976–77 , 1978–79 , 1979–80 , 1982–83 , 1983–84 , 1987–88 , 1988–89 , 1989–90 , 2008–09 , 2013–14 , 2017–18 , 2019–20 , 2021–22
Tottenham Hotspur
9
1957–58 , 1960–61 , 1972–73 , 1981–82 , 1986–87 , 1991–92 , 1994–95 , 1998–99 , 2012–13
Manchester United
9
1948–49 , 1965–66 , 1967–68 , 1995–96 , 1999–00 , 2000–01 , 2006–07 , 2007–08 , 2009–10
Arsenal
8
1949–50 , 1970–71 , 1997–98 , 2001–02 , 2002–03 , 2003–04 , 2005–06 , 2011–12
Manchester City
7
1954–55 , 1955–56 , 1968–69 ‡ , 2018–19 , 2020–21 , 2022–23 , 2023-24
Leeds United
4
1964–65 , 1966–67 , 1969–70 , 1990–91
Chelsea
4
1996–97 , 2004–05 , 2014–15 , 2016–17
Everton
2
1984–85 , 1985–86
Stoke City
2
1962–63 , 1971–72
Wolverhampton Wanderers
2
1951–52 , 1959–60
Preston North End
2
1953–54 , 1956–57
Blackpool
2
1947–48 , 1950–51
West Ham United
2
1963–64 , 2010–11
Leicester City
1
2015–16
Blackburn Rovers
1
1993–94
Sheffield Wednesday
1
1992–93
Ipswich Town
1
1980–81
Nottingham Forest
1
1977–78
Fulham
1
1974–75
Derby County
1
1968–69 ‡
Burnley
1
1961–62
Luton Town
1
1958–59
Bolton Wanderers
1
1952–53