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PFA celebrates 50 years anniversary. | Credit: thepfa.com[/caption]
The 50th annual PFA Awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, August 29 at the Lowry Theatre in Manchester. That evening, the PFA Players' Player of the Year, PFA Young Player of the Year, and the Teams of the Year in each league will be announced. As an added bonus, the PFA will present its annual Merit Award to a deserving footballer.
Some of the most impressive players of the 2022–23 season are among the nominees for the PFA Awards, which were announced on Thursday, August 17. Listed below are the nominees in each category, along with a brief description of their accomplishments during the previous election season.
PFA Men's Players’ Player of the Year
The most prestigious individual accolade in English football is the PFA Players' Player of the Year, which is chosen by players themselves. Legendary soccer stars including Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez, Lucy Bronze, and Mohamed Salah have all won the honor. Both Mohamed Salah (Male) of Liverpool and Sam Kerr (Female) of Chelsea are current holders. This year, six players have been nominated for the award; they are as follows:- Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City ~The Belgian midfielder played a crucial role in City's drive to the triple, registering 18 assists and seven goals. ~With a win this year, he might make history by becoming the first player to win the PFA Players' Player of the Year award four times in a row. ~He was selected for the PFA Team of the Year for the fifth time in his career, as well as the FIFA Best Men's Player and the UEFA Men's Player of the Year.
- Erling Haaland – Manchester City ~The Norwegian striker had a phenomenal first season in the English Premier League, scoring 36 goals in just 35 games to set a new record for most goals scored in a single season. ~He also contributed to City's historic Champions League run, as he scored 12 goals in 10 matches. ~He was awarded the Golden Boot in the Premier League, the Golden Boot in the Champions League, and the European Golden Shoe. ~He made history by being the first player in City's history to score more than 50 goals in a season.
- John Stones – Manchester City
- Martin Odegaard – Arsenal ~The Norwegian midfielder made waves for Arsenal last year, where he captained the team and contributed to 15 goals and eight assists across all competitions. ~The free-kick he scored against Liverpool and the curling shot he made against Tottenham were just two of his amazing goals. ~He was instrumental in Arsenal's best Premier League finish since 2005. ~He was voted Player of the Season by the Arsenal team and fans.
- Bukayo Saka – Arsenal ~The English winger continued to shine for Arsenal last year, demonstrating his versatility and creativity with 14 goals and 11 assists across all competitions. ~He is a versatile player who starred in a number of different roles, from left back to right flank. ~At the age of 20, he became the youngest player in Arsenal history to record 10 assists in the Premier League. ~As an added honor, he was selected Arsenal's Young Player of the Season for the second consecutive year.
- Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur (now Bayern Munich) ~In 38 Premier League appearances, the English striker had one of his best seasons, with 12 assists and 31 goals. ~He joined Thierry Henry as the only players in Premier League history to record 30 goals and more than 10 assists in the same season. ~For the third time, he was named Premier League Golden Boot winner, and for the first time, he was named Premier League Playmaker of the Year. ~He also became Tottenham's all-time highest scorer in European tournaments with 47 goals.
PFA Men's Players' Player of the Year. | Credit: @B/R Football | Source: Twitter[/caption]
PFA Young Player of the Year
The PFA Young Player of the Year award goes to the best player who is 23 or younger as of the beginning of the current season. Players like Wayne Rooney, Gareth Bale, Raheem Sterling, and Vivianne Miedema, among others, have won the honor in the past. The current holders are Mason Greenwood of Manchester United and Chloe Kelly of Manchester City. This year, six players have been shortlisted for the award, and they are:- Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
- Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
- Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)
- Moisés Caicedo (former Brighton, now Chelsea)
- Evan Ferguson (Brighton & Hove Albion)
- Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa)
PFA Young Player of the Year. | Credit: @B/RFootball | Source: Twitter[/caption]
PFA Team of the Year
Players from each league vote on who they think were the most outstanding performers this season, and those players make up the PFA Team of the Year. Usually, the teams are notified ahead of time, however this year they will be revealed at the actual ceremony. A team from each of the following categories will be chosen:- Premier League
- Championship
- League One
- League Two
- Women’s Super League
- Women’s Championship
PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year Nominees
The PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year nominees for 2023 have also been announced. The six-woman shortlist includes:- Ona Batlle
- Rachel Daly
- Sam Kerr
- Frida Maanum
- Guro Reiten
- Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw.
PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year. | Credit: @B/RFootball[/caption]
UEFA Men's Coach of the Year
The UEFA Men's Coach of the Year nominees for the 2022/23 season have been announced. The three coaches who made the final shortlist are:- Pep Guardiola of Manchester City
- Simone Inzaghi of Inter Milan
- Luciano Spalletti of Napoli
UEFA Men's Coach of the Year | Credit: @B/RFootball[/caption]
The UEFA technical study group compiled the initial shortlist, and the coaches of the men's national teams from UEFA's member nations, as well as coaches from the Europa League and Europa Conference League, narrowed it down to three finalists. In addition, the European Sports Media (ESM) polled a group of journalists. Both the jury and the group of journalists will cast ballots to choose the winner.
