Annual award
TheFootball Writers' Association Footballer of the Year (often called theFWA Footballer of the Year , or in England simply theFootballer of the Year ) is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season inEnglish football .[ 1] 1947–48 season, with the inaugural winner beingBlackpool wingerStanley Matthews . The latest winner of the award as of2024–25 is Mohamed Salah ofLiverpool . Nine players have won the award on more than one occasion, withThierry Henry andMohamed Salah having won the award on the most occasions, with three wins each.
The winner is selected by a vote amongst the members of theFootball Writers' Association (FWA), which comprises around 400 football journalists based throughoutEngland .[ 2] 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 2025, to 68 players. On one occasion two players shared the award for a season.[ 4] Players' Player of the Year award (PPY),[ 5] [ 6] [ 7] Fans' Player of the Year award (FPY),[ 8] Young Player of the Year award (YPY),[ 6] [ 7] [ 9] Premier League Player of the Season award (PPS),[ 10] Premier League Young Player of the Season award (PYPS),[ 10] 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 [ 14]
1956–57 Tom Finney Preston North End [ 15] 1957–58 Danny Blanchflower Tottenham Hotspur 1958–59 Syd Owen Luton Town 1959–60 Bill Slater Wolverhampton Wanderers 1960–61 Danny Blanchflower Tottenham Hotspur 1961–62 Jimmy Adamson Burnley 1962–63 Stanley Matthews Stoke City [ 16] 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 [ 17] 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 [ 18] 1980–81 Frans Thijssen Ipswich Town 1981–82 Steve Perryman Tottenham Hotspur 1982–83 Kenny Dalglish 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 Liverpool 1990–91 Gordon Strachan Leeds United 1991–92 Gary Lineker 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 Arsenal PPY, FPY, PPS [ 19] 2004–05 Frank Lampard Chelsea FPY, PPS [ 20] 2005–06 Thierry Henry Arsenal PPS [ 21] 2006–07 Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United PPY, FPY, YPY, PPS [ 22] 2007–08 Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United PPY, FPY, PPS 2008–09 Steven Gerrard Liverpool FPY [ 23] 2009–10 Wayne Rooney Manchester United PPY, FPY, PPS [ 24] 2010–11 Scott Parker West Ham United [ 25] 2011–12 Robin van Persie Arsenal PPY, FPY [ 26] 2012–13 Gareth Bale Tottenham Hotspur PPY, YPY, PPS [ 27] 2013–14 Luis Suárez Liverpool PPY, FPY, PPS, FSA [ 11] 2014–15 Eden Hazard Chelsea PPY, PPS [ 28] 2015–16 Jamie Vardy Leicester City PPS [ 29] 2016–17 N'Golo Kanté Chelsea PPY, PPS [ 30] 2017–18 Mohamed Salah Liverpool PPY, FPY, PPS, FSA [ 31] 2018–19 Raheem Sterling Manchester City YPY [ 32] 2019–20 Jordan Henderson Liverpool [ 33] 2020–21 Rúben Dias Manchester City PPS [ 34] 2021–22 Mohamed Salah Liverpool PPY, FPY [ 35] 2022–23 Erling Haaland Manchester City PPY, PPS, PYPS [ 36] 2023–24 Phil Foden Manchester City PPY, PPS [ 37] 2024–25 Mohamed Salah Liverpool PPY, PPS [ 38]
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 3
2017–18 ,2021–22 ,2024–25 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 16
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 ,2024–25 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
Stanley Matthews
Mohamed Salah
Thierry Henry (3 awards each)
Scotland
Northern Ireland
Netherlands
Wales
Portugal
West Germany /
Republic of Ireland
Italy
Uruguay
Belgium
Norway