Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been voted the Professional Footballers’ Association’s men’s player of the year, with Chelsea’s Sam Kerr collecting the women’s award.
Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden retains the PFA young player of the year award, with Lauren Hemp again women’s young player, which she wins for a third consecutive season.
Voted for by PFA members, Salah topped the poll ahead of Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who had won for the previous two years and was again an integral part of the Manchester City team which claimed the Premier League title ahead of Liverpool by just one point.
Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Tottenham striker Harry Kane had also made the shortlist, along with Salah’s Liverpool team-mates Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane.
The bird-shaped obsession that drives James Crombie, one of Ireland’s best sports photographers
To contest or not to contest? That is the question for Ireland’s aerial game
Ciara Mageean speaks of ‘grieving’ process after missing Olympics
‘I’m the right guy in the right moment’ says new Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim
Salah takes the PFA player of the year trophy for a second time, having previously won in 2018, after helping drive Jurgen Klopp’s men to success in both the Caraboa Cup and FA Cup, as well as reaching the Champions League final, where they lost to Real Madrid.
Egypt international Salah finished as the Premier League’s joint top-scorer alongside Tottenham’s Son Heung-min with 23 goals — he also lead the assists charts with 13 — and was announced as the PFA men’s player of the year at a virtual ceremony on June 9th.
“It’s a great honour to win a trophy, individual or collective and this one is big so, very happy and very proud of that,” said Salah, who was also voted the men’s footballer of the year by the Footballer Writers’ Association.
“This one is a really good one to win, especially because it’s voted by players. It shows you that you’ve worked really hard and you get what you worked for. I have my room with trophies in a cabinet and I made sure that I had another space for one more. I always keep space and just try to imagine that the trophies are going to come.”
Chelsea forward Kerr scored 20 goals to be top scorer in the FA Women’s Super League, helping Emma Hayes’ team win the domestic double after beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
“It’s a massive honour I think, whenever you’re voted by your peers. I think that’s the highest honour as a player so, it’s an amazing feeling,” said Australia international Kerr, who was also named the FWA’s women’s footballer of the year.
Liverpool made up six of the PFA Premier League team of the year, with three from champions Manchester City.
Reds goalkeeper Alisson, defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk, along with midfielder Thiago Alcantara as well as forwards Sadio Mane and Salah were all recognised by their peers and voted into the divisional XI.
City, who edged out Liverpool by a point to win the title on the final day of the season, are represented by full-back Joao Cancelo, playmaker Kevin De Bruyne and midfielder Bernardo Silva.
The other two places went to Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger and Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who returned to the England this season after leaving Juventus last summer and scored 18 Premier League goals. Tottenham’s Son Heung-min was a surprise omission given his role in returning Spurs to the Champions League and the number of goals he scored in doing so.
Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson shared the Golden Glove with City number one and compatriot Ederson after 20 clean sheets.
City defender Cancelo was top of the Premier League’s overall passing stats, as the Portugal international made a total of 2,951, while Alexander-Arnold was second in the number of assists with 12.
PFA Premier League Team of the Year: Alisson (Liverpool); Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea), Joao Cancelo (Manchester City); Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Thiago Alcantara (Liverpool), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City); Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
