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PFA Player of the Year Award Winners list

The PFA Player of the Year Award has been awarded 47 times since its inception in 1974. Here we take a look at all the winners list of the coveted award from 1974 to 2020.

AS
Last updated: 10.05.2021
PFA Player of the Year Award Winners list | Sports Social Blog

The Professional Footballers' Association Men's Players' Player of the Year (regularly called the PFA Men's Players' Player of the Year) is a yearly honour given to the player who is declared to have been the best player of the season in English Football. The PFA was founded way back in 1908 and is still one of the oldest associations in the footballing world.

Former Leeds star Norman Hunter was the first player to win the coveted PFA Player of the Year award. As of now, only Mark Hughes, Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Gareth Bale have won the award twice. Another spectacular fact related to this award is that on three occasions the winner of the award has also won the PFA Young Player of the Year award – Andy Gray, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Gareth Bale. The current winner of the award is Manchester City’s star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.

The PFA Player of the Year award has been awarded 47 times to 42 different players. Many top players regard this trophy as an important one with Teddy Sheringham describing it as "the biggest personal award you can get in the game". Manchester United players have won the award most number of times (11), followed by Liverpool (8), Tottenham Hotspur (5), Arsenal (5), Chelsea (3), Aston Villa (3) among others.

Cristiano Ronaldo broke all English record as he became the first player to do a clean sweep of individual accolades in 2007 as he won the PFA Player of the Year, PFA Fans Player of the Year, FWA Player of the Year, PFA Young Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season. After he, Luis Suarez and Mo Salah achieved the same feat.

Here is the full list of players who have won this award since it’s inception in 1974:


Year

Winner

Country

Club

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

Algeria

Leicester City

2015

Eden Hazard

Belgium

Chelsea

2014

Luis Suárez

Uruguay

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

Netherlands

Manchester United

2001

Teddy Sheringham

England

Manchester United

2000

Roy Keane

Ireland

Manchester United

1999

David Ginola

France

Tottenham Hotspur

1998

Dennis Bergkamp

Netherlands

Arsenal

1997

Alan Shearer

England

Newcastle United

1996

Les Ferdinand

England

Newcastle United

1995

Alan Shearer

England

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 Hotspur

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

Ireland

Arsenal

1978

Peter Shilton

England

Nottingham Forest

1977

Andy Gray

Scotland

Aston Villa

1976

Pat Jennings

Northern Ireland

Tottenham Hotspur

1975

Colin Todd

England

Derby County

1974

Norman Hunter

England

Leeds United

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