The PFA Player of the Year, also known as the Professional Footballers’ Association Men’s Player of the Year, is given to the finest player in English football every season.
The PFA Player of the Year, along with the PFA Young Player of the Year, PFA Merit Award, PFA Team of the Year, and PFA Fans’ Player of the Year, is one of the awards given out by the Professional Footballers’ Association.
The winner of the PFA Players’ Player of the Year is chosen by a vote by the players’ trade union (PFA), which represents around 5,000 professional footballers.
The PFA Players’ Player of the Year award has been given to 42 different players.
Who was the first PFA Player of the Year award winner?
In 1973-74, Norman Hunter was the first-ever player awarded the PFA Players’ Player of the Year. Between 1960 -70s, the former Leeds United defender was considered one of the greatest center-backs in the country, helping his club win the title with only five defeats during the entire campaign.
In the 2012-13 season, the PFA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year award was established. Kim Little, a former Arsenal midfielder, was the first female player to receive the award. The Scottish international scored 11 goals in 14 games and won the FA Women’s League Cup and FA Women’s FA Cup.
Who has won the most PFA Player of the Year awards?
The PFA Players’ Player of the Year award has been won by seven players twice. Mark Hughes, who represented Manchester United in the 1988-89 and 1990-91 seasons, was the first player to win the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award twice.
Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Kevin De Bruyne, and Mohamed Salah all followed suit.
Lucy Bronze and Fran Kirby, on the other hand, hold the most PFA Women’s Player of the Year honors with two each.
PFA Player of the Year award winners Since 1974
Here is a full list of PFA player of the year winners.
| Year | PFA Winner | Country | Club |
| 2022 | Mo Salah | Egypt | Liverpool |
| 2021 | Kevin De Bruyne | Belgium | Manchester City |
| 2020 | Kevin De Bruyne | Belgium | Manchester City |
| 2019 | Virgil van Dijk | Netherlands | Liverpool |
| 2018 | Mohamed Salah | Egypt | Liverpool |
| 2017 | N’Golo Kante | France | Chelsea |
| 2016 | Riyad Mahrez | France | Leicester City |
| 2015 | Eden Hazard | Belgium | Chelsea |
| 2014 | Luis Suárez | Argentine | Liverpool |
| 2013 | Gareth Bale | Wales | Tottenham |
| 2012 | Robin van Persie | Netherlands | Manchester United |
| 2011 | Gareth Bale | Wales | Tottenham |
| 2010 | Wayne Rooney | England | Manchester United |
| 2009 | Ryan Giggs | Wales | Manchester United |
| 2008 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Manchester United |
| 2007 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal | Manchester United |
| 2006 | Steven Gerrard | England | Liverpool |
| 2005 | John Terry | England | Chelsea |
| 2004 | Thierry Henry | France | Arsenal |
| 2003 | Thierry Henry | France | Arsenal |
| 2002 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | Holland | Manchester United |
| 2001 | Teddy Sheringham | England | Manchester United |
| 2000 | Roy Keane | Irland | Manchester United |
| 1999 | David Ginola | France | Tottenham |
| 1998 | Dennis Bergkamp | Holland | Arsenal |
| 1997 | Alan Shearer | England | Newcastle United |
| 1996 | Les Ferdinand | Great Britain | Newcastle United |
| 1995 | Alan Shearer | Great Britain | Blackburn Rovers |
| 1994 | Eric Cantona | France | Manchester United |
| 1993 | Paul McGrath | Ireland | Aston Villa |
| 1992 | Gary Pallister | England | Manchester United |
| 1991 | Mark Hughes | Wales | Manchester United |
| 1990 | David Platt | England | Aston Villa |
| 1989 | Mark Hughes | Wales | Manchester United |
| 1988 | John Barnes | England | Liverpool |
| 1987 | Clive Allen | England | Tottenham |
| 1986 | Gary Lineker | England | Everton |
| 1985 | Peter Reid | England | Everton |
| 1984 | Ian Rush | Wales | Liverpool |
| 1983 | Kenny Dalglish | Scotland | Liverpool |
| 1982 | Kevin Keegan | England | Southampton |
| 1981 | John Wark | Scotland | Ipswich Town |
| 1980 | Terry McDermott | England | Liverpool |
| 1979 | Liam Brady | Irland | Arsenal |
| 1978 | Peter Shilton | England | Nottingham Forest |
| 1977 | Andy Gray | Scotland | Aston Villa |
| 1976 | Pat Jennings | Northern Ireland | Tottenham |
| 1975 | Colin Todd | England | Derby County |
| 1974 | Norman Hunter | England | Leeds United |
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Which Country has the most PFA Players of the Year?
So Far, only 19 English players have won the award and Wayne Rooney was the last English player to win the Award (PFA Player of The Year) in 2009.
| Country | Number of wins | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| England | 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, 2022-23 | |
| Wales | 1983–84, 1988–89, 1990–91, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13 | |
| France | 1993–94, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2016–17 | |
| Belgium | 2014–15, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 | |
| Netherlands | 1997–98, 2001–02, 2011–12, 2018–19 | |
| Scotland | 1976–77, 1980–81, 1982–83 | |
| Republic of Ireland | 1978–79, 1992–93, 1999–2000 | |
| Portugal | 2006–07, 2007–08 | |
| Northern Ireland | 1975–76 | |
| Uruguay | 2013–14 | |
| Algeria | 2015–16 | |
| Egypt | 2017–18 |
Which club has the most PFA Players of the Year?
| Club | Number of wins | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10 | |
| Liverpool | 1979–80, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1987–88, 2005–06, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2022-23 | |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1975–76, 1986–87, 1998–99, 2010–11, 2012–13 | |
| Arsenal | 1978–79, 1997–98, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2011–12 | |
| Manchester City | 2019–20, 2020-21, 2021-22 | |
| Chelsea | 2004–05, 2014–15, 2016–17 | |
| Aston Villa | 1976–77, 1989–90, 1992–93 | |
| Everton | 1984–85, 1985–86 | |
| Newcastle United | 1995–96, 1996–97 | |
| Leeds United | 1973–74 | |
| Derby County | 1974–75 | |
| Nottingham Forest | 1977–78 | |
| Ipswich Town | 1980–81 | |
| Southampton | 1981–82 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 1994–95 | |
| Leicester City | 2015–16 |
PFA Women’s Player of the Year winners
2012 – Kim Little (Arsenal)
2013 – Lucy Bronze (Liverpool)
2014 – Ji So-Yun (Chelsea)
2015 – Izzy Christiansen Manchester City
2016 – Lucy Bronze Manchester City
2017 – Fran Kirby (Chelsea)
2018 – Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal)
2019 – Bethany England (Chelsea)
2020 – Fran Kirby (Chelsea)
2022 – Sam Kerr (Chelsea)
