Since the Premier League's rebranding in 1992, the PFA Player of the Year award has been handed out 31 times. Kevin De Bruyne won the PFA Player of the Year award in two consecutive seasons, showcasing his incredible talent by scoring 13 goals and providing 20 assists in the 2019/20 season. Phil Foden was an obvious winner of the award following a stellar campaign at the heart of Manchester City's 2023/24 title-winning team.
The end of the season is always synonymous with the presentation of awards, both individual and collective. Among the many that are awarded each year, the PFA Players' Player of the Year is undoubtedly one of the most important. Awarded each year since the 1973/74 season, this prize goes to the best player of the year in the English league.
To decide the winner, members of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) meet and vote on the nominated players. Norman Hunter, the English defender who played for Leeds United in the 1970s, was the first-ever winner crowned by his peers. Alan Shearer is the only player in history to have won the award with two different clubs ( Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United ) and no player has won it three times in his career.
Phil Foden joined an illustrious list of former champions after scooping the major honour in August 2024. Since the Premier League was formed in 1992, there have been 32 awards handed out, and here is a list of every winner. Every PFA Player of the Year Since 1992 Rank Player Club Season 1 Paul McGrath Aston Villa 1992/93 2 Eric Cantona Manchester United 1993/94 3 Alan Shearer Blackburn Rovers 1994/95 4 Les Ferdinand Newcastle 1995/96 5 Alan Shearer Newcastle 1996/97 6 Dennis Bergkamp Arsenal 1997/98 7 David Ginola Tottenham 1998/99 8 Roy Keane Manchester United 1999/00 9 Teddy Sheringham Manchester United 2000/01 10 Ruud van Nistelrooy Manchester United 2001/02 11 Thierry Henry Arsenal 2002/03 12 Thierry Henry Arsenal 2003/04 13 John Terry Chelsea 2004/05 14 Steven Gerrard Liverpool 2005/06 15 Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United 2006/07 16 Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United 2007/08 17 Ryan Giggs Manchester United 2008/09 18 Wayne Rooney Manchester United 2009/10 19 Gareth Bale Tottenham 2010/11 20 Robin van Persie Arsenal 2011/12 21 Gareth Bale Tottenham 2012/13 22 Luis Suarez Liverpool 2013/14 23 Eden Hazard Chelsea 2014/15 24 Riyad Mahrez Leicester 2015/16 25 N'Golo Kante Chelsea 2016/17 26 Mohamed Salah Liverpool 2017/18 27 Virgil van Dijk Liverpool 2018/19 28 Kevin De Bruyne Manchester City 2019/20 29 Kevin De Bruyne Manchester City 2020/21 30 Mohamed Salah Liverpool 2021/22 31 Erling Haaland Manchester City 2022/23 32 Phil Foden Manchester City 2023/24 The Premier League has seen an abundance of extremely talented players, but who makes the cut? 32 Paul McGrath Paul McGrath is the first player to have won the award in the newly-named Premier League .
The Irishman, who then played for Aston Villa , was one of the key figures in the club's run to an impressive second place in the table. A regular in all 42 league games played by the Villans that season, the composed and cerebral defender helped them establish themselves as the second-strongest team in the Premier League. With just 40 goals conceded during the 1992/93 season, the Villa Park residents had only seen the champions, Manchester United (31), and Arsenal (38) concede fewer goals than them.
Paul McGrath's 1992/93 Premier League season Club Aston Villa Games played 42 Goals 4 Assists 2 31 Eric Cantona Eric Cantona will forever be remembered as the first non-British player to win the PFA Player of the Year award. Appearing 34 times for Manchester United during the 1993/94 season, the French striker scored 18 goals - including two doubles against Manchester City - and provided 12 assists in the Premier League. Outside the league, the then 27-year-old also made a major contribution to the Red Devils' FA Cup triumphs (four goals in five games, including a brace against Chelsea in the final) and in the Community Shield - in which he provided an assist against United's familiar rivals Arsenal.
Eric Cantona's 1993/94 Premier League season Club Manchester United Games played 34 Goals 18 Assists 12 30 Alan Shearer 61.25%. That was the proportion of goals scored by Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton for Blackburn Rovers during their title-winning campaign of 1994/95.
The Newcastle-born striker found the net 34 times in 42 Premier League games, and that's without taking into account the 13 assists he added. While he remains the English league's top scorer since its format was overhauled in 1992 (260 goals), Shearer no longer holds the record for the most goals scored in a single season - which he used to share with Andy Cole. A certain Norwegian giant robbed him of that honour, but there are plenty of other records set by the prolific finisher.
Alan Shearer's 1994/95 Premier League season Club Blackburn Rovers Games played 42 Goals 34 Assists 13 29 Les Ferdinand Newcastle were never off the Premier League podium during the 1995/96 season. The Magpies had been on top for a long time, but were eventually beaten at the death by Manchester United, who had overtaken them in the final sprint. But that should in no way detract from the great performance of the team led by Les Ferdinand, who scored 25 goals in 37 league appearances that season.
Although he did not finish as top scorer (Alan Shearer scored 31 goals and retained his title), the London-born player nevertheless had a superb season, including a fantastic start in which he scored 13 goals in just 10 games. Les Ferdinand's 1995/96 Premier League season Club Newcastle Games played 37 Goals 25 Assists 6 28 Alan Shearer Two years after winning his first award with Blackburn Rovers, Alan Shearer was once again named PFA Player of the Year at the end of the 1996/97 season. Transferred to Newcastle the previous summer for a world-record fee, the English centre-forward had again won the Golden Boot, his third in a row, after a campaign in which he had scored 25 goals in 31 Premier League appearances.
This performance helped the Magpies finish the season in second place, seven points behind Manchester United, but with a favourable goal difference (+33) compared to Arsenal (+30) and Liverpool (+25), both of whom also had 68 points. Alan Shearer's 1996/97 Premier League season Club Newcastle Games played 31 Goals 25 Assists 7 27 Dennis Bergkamp From a statistical point of view, the 1997/98 season was Dennis Bergkamp's best. Decisive on 27 occasions (16 goals, 11 assists) in 28 league games, the Dutchman was undoubtedly one of the key men in Arsenal 's triumph at the end of the campaign.
One of the most memorable moments of his season was his hat-trick at Leicester City , the third goal being without doubt the most impressive, both in terms of the ease with which it was scored and its beauty. The ‘Non-Flying Dutchman’ saw his three goals from that legendary performance occupy the top three places in the vote for the Goal of the Month in August 1997. Dennis Bergkamp's 1997/98 Premier League season Club Arsenal Games played 28 Goals 16 Assists 11 Carrying their teams on their back, these players produced some of the greatest performances of all time in the Premier League.
26 David Ginola It was an award that surprised many. When David Ginola was crowned PFA Player of the Year at the end of the 1998/99 season, he himself was in disbelief. Scoring just three goals - and providing 10 assists - in 30 Premier League games, the 32-year-old winger's statistics were far from stellar.
But to judge the quality of the Tottenham player's season by those numbers alone would be to pay him scant tribute. A brilliant member of the Spurs team, Ginola even earned the nickname of ‘French Wizard’ - ranked by Alan Shearer and Micah Richards among the 10 best French players in Premier League history - and was universally acclaimed. His goal against Barnsley in the FA Cup quarter-finals was one of the most memorable moments of his season.
Many consider it one of the finest goals in Tottenham's history. David Ginola's 1998/99 Premier League season Club Tottenham Games played 30 Goals 3 Assists 10 25 Roy Keane Having just emerged from a 1998/99 season crowned by the first European treble in the history of English football, Roy Keane led Manchester United to another Premier League title. With 28 starts in 29 games, the Irish enforcer had become an established part of the midfield set-up under Sir Alex Ferguson, scoring 12 goals in all competitions, including five in the league and six in the Champions League.
Full recovered from a serious knee injury sustained two years earlier, ‘Keano’ dazzled the Premier League with his talent and ended up being crowned PFA Player of the Year by his peers. Roy Keane's 1999/00 Premier League season Club Manchester United Games played 29 Goals 5 Assists 1 24 Teddy Sheringham Although his best years were already behind him, Teddy Sheringham had nevertheless set his sights on a successful end to his career. In the 2000/01 season, the 35-year-old centre-forward enjoyed a top-class campaign.
Scoring 15 times in 29 Premier League games, he played a major role in the Red Devils' title triumph. It was the penultimate season of his Manchester adventure, which he punctuated with 10 goals and another Premier League title the following season. A passionate fan of the game, he would not hang up his boots until six years later, at the age of 42.
A picture of exceptional longevity. Teddy Sheringham's 2000/01 Premier League season Club Manchester United Games played 29 Goals 15 Assists 5 23 Ruud van Nistelrooy Ruud van Nistelrooy made a name for himself in his very first season in England. The former PSV player scored 44 goals in 48 games in all competitions, including 23 in the Premier League.
After a somewhat shaky start, the Dutchman enjoyed an incredible second half of the season. These players wasted no time settling into a new league and immediately hit the ground running. Between 12th December 2001 and 19th January 2002, he scored 10 goals in eight games, including a gem against Newcastle.
These performances were all the more impressive given that the Dutchman had suffered a cruciate knee ligament rupture the previous season, which had delayed his arrival at Old Trafford. Ruud van Nistelrooy's 2001/02 Premier League season Club Manchester United Games played 32 Goals 23 Assists 5 22 Thierry Henry Thierry Henry's rivalry with Ruud van Nistelrooy was intense over the years. These stylistically different strikers encapsulated the fierce rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester United at a time when both clubs went head-to-head for the league title each year.
Van Nistelrooy finished as the division's top scorer in 2002/03 but Henry claimed the PFA Player of the Year award. It has to be said that the Frenchman more than shone with Arsenal, who were crowned English champions for the 12th time in their history. In 37 Premier League games, the 1998 world champion scored 24 goals and provided no fewer than 21 assists.
An impressive record for the Gunners legend. Thierry Henry's 2002/03 Premier League season Club Arsenal Games played 37 Goals 24 Assists 21 21 Thierry Henry After winning the award the previous year, Thierry Henry became, at the end of the 2003/04 season, the first player to claim the prestigious honour in two consecutive seasons. A key member of the legendary Invincibles team, the striker scored 30 goals - 41% of Arsenal's total - and provided nine assists in 37 league games.
Crowned the Premier League's top scorer for the second time in his career, the Les Ulis native enjoyed one of the best individual seasons in the history of the English league. The best Arsenal striker of all time was also awarded FWA Footballer of the Year, PFA Fans' Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season. Thierry Henry's 2003/04 Premier League season Club Arsenal Games played 37 Goals 30 Assists 9 20 John Terry He is the man who helped Chelsea break their terrible run of form.
Although the Blues had not been crowned English champions since 1955, John Terry, wearing the captain's armband, led the Londoners to a long-awaited league title half a century later. Starting 36 times in 36 games, the England centre-back played a dominant role in the 2004/05 season, in which his team lost just once, at Manchester City. A performance almost identical to that achieved by Arsenal a year earlier, which will also go down in the annals of the Premier League.
With 717 appearances for the Stamford Bridge side, he is the most capped player in Chelsea's history. John Terry's 2004/05 Premier League season Club Chelsea Games played 36 Goals 3 Assists 1 19 Steven Gerrard Steven Gerrard's 2005/06 season could have been a very different story. Fresh from winning the Champions League against AC Milan in the famous ‘Miracle of Istanbul’, the England midfielder had his sights set elsewhere.
Throughout the transfer window, every day that passed seemed to bring him closer to a move to Chelsea, where the sirens of Stamford Bridge were calling. In the end, however, that was not to be and 'Stevie G' extended his contract with the Reds. It was a decision that paid off for the player who was decisive 15 times (10 goals, five assists) in 32 league games and was rewarded for his performances with the PFA Player of the Year award.
Steven Gerrard's 2005/06 Premier League season Club Liverpool Games played 32 Goals 10 Assists 5 18 Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo was to make his mark on the 2006/07 season. With 17 goals and eight assists in 34 Premier League appearances, the Portuguese was one of the key players in Manchester United's English league title triumph - which was also his first since joining the club in 2003. At the end of the season, he became the first player to win all five major awards in the same year.
PFA Players' Player of the Year, PFA Young Player of the Year, PFA Fan's Player of the Year, FWA Footballer of the Year, PFA Team of the Year: Ronaldo had swept all before him. Cristiano Ronaldo's 2006/07 Premier League season Club Manchester United Games played 34 Goals 17 Assists 8 17 Cristiano Ronaldo While the 2006/07 season was probably the one that brought Cristiano Ronaldo to the world stage, the season that followed only served to confirm the Portuguese's status as one of the world's greatest players . Scoring 42 goals in all competitions - including 31 in the Premier League - the Portuguese forward led the Red Devils to their 16th English league title, as well as the third Champions League crown in their history.
Another stellar top-flight season was once again recognised and rewarded by his peers. To crown it all, a few months later he won the first of his five Ballon d'Or awards. Cristiano Ronaldo's 2007/08 Premier League season Club Manchester United Games played 34 Goals 31 Assists 7 Several players have won the Ballon d'Or whilst playing for an English team.
16 Ryan Giggs The 2008/09 season saw 34-year-old Ryan Giggs reintegrated into the heart of the game by Sir Alex Ferguson. It was a move that paid off, with the Welshman helping Manchester United win another English league title and reach the Champions League final. Starting just 15 times in 32 Premier League appearances, the Cardiff native scored two goals and provided six assists.
That was enough to earn him the PFA Player of the Year award at the end of the season. A prize that his coach saw him winning before the ceremony, explaining that it would "simply reward the player's long-term contribution to football". Ryan Giggs' 2008/09 Premier League season Club Manchester United Games played 32 Goals 2 Assists 6 15 Wayne Rooney Never before had Wayne Rooney enjoyed such an impressive season - in statistical terms - as he did in 2009/10.
In the space of 32 Premier League games (32 starts), the versatile England striker scored a total of 26 goals, including three braces, a hat-trick and even a four-goal haul. Although Manchester United 'only' won the League Cup during this campaign, Rooney dominated proceedings and gave the Red Devils the right to dream of another league title. In the end, that dream eluded the Mancunians, who were beaten by a single point by Chelsea.
But no matter, the Everton academy graduate confirmed all the expectations placed on him. Wayne Rooney's 2009/10 Premier League season Club Manchester United Games played 32 Goals 26 Assists 4 14 Gareth Bale Before enjoying a brilliant career at Real Madrid , where he was part of the legendary 'BBC' (Bale, Benzema, Cristiano), Gareth Bale first showcased his talent on English pitches. His 2010/11 season is a perfect example.
Although Tottenham only finished fifth in the table, the Welshman was decisive nine times (scoring seven goals and creating another two) in 30 appearances. But more than his statistics, his qualities as a counter-attacker and finisher astounded observers. One of the most memorable highlights of his season was his hat-trick against Inter Milan in the Champions League.
These three goals alone illustrate all the qualities of the player who began his career as a left-back. Gareth Bale's 2010/11 Premier League season Club Tottenham Games played 30 Goals 7 Assists 2 13 Robin van Persie 38 games, 30 goals, 13 assists. To say that Robin van Persie's 2011/12 Premier League campaign was a success would be an understatement.
His performances helped Arsenal to third place in the table at the end of the season. To date, he remains the Gunners' joint top scorer - equal with Thierry Henry - in a 38-game league season. What's more, the season before this, the Dutch centre-forward had never scored more than 18 goals in a single season in his career.
For the record, Van Persie never managed to reach such a goal total again until his retirement. Robin van Persie's 2011/12 Premier League season Club Arsenal Games played 38 Goals 30 Assists 13.
