FWA Footballer of the Year


The Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football. The award has been presented since the 1947–48 season, with the inaugural winner being Blackpool winger Stanley Matthews. The latest winner of the award as of 2019–20 is Jordan Henderson of Liverpool. Eight players have won the award on more than one occasion, with Thierry Henry having won the award on the most occasions, with three wins in four seasons.
The winner is selected by a vote amongst the members of the Football Writers' Association, which comprises around 400 football journalists based throughout England. The award was instigated at the suggestion of Charles Buchan, a former professional footballer turned journalist and one of the Association's founders.

Winners

The award has been presented on 73 occasions as of 2020, to 65 players. On one occasion two players shared the award for a season. The table also indicates where the winning player also won one or more of the other major "player of the year" awards in English football, namely the Professional Footballers' Association's Players' Player of the Year award, Fans' Player of the Year award, the Young Player of the Year award, and the Football Supporters’ Federation Player of the Year award.
's 1985 win was the last time a goalkeeper received the award.
won the award in the 1997–98 season.
was the first player to win the award in two consecutive seasons.
also won the award consecutively, in the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons.
won the award in 2009, becoming the first Liverpool player to do so for nineteen years.
YearPlayerClubAlso wonNotes
1947–48Stanley MatthewsBlackpool
1948–49Manchester United
1949–50Arsenal
1950–51Blackpool
1951–52Wolverhampton Wanderers
1952–53Bolton Wanderers
1953–54Preston North End
1954–55Manchester City
1955–56Manchester City
1956–57 Preston North End
1957–58Tottenham Hotspur
1958–59Luton Town
1959–60Wolverhampton Wanderers
1960–61 Tottenham Hotspur
1961–62Burnley
1962–63 Stoke City
1963–64West Ham United
1964–65Leeds United
1965–66Manchester United
1966–67Leeds United
1967–68Manchester United
1968–69

Manchester City
Derby County
1969–70Leeds United
1970–71Arsenal
1971–72Stoke City
1972–73Tottenham Hotspur
1973–74Liverpool
1974–75Fulham
1975–76Liverpool
1976–77Liverpool
1977–78Nottingham Forest
1978–79Liverpool
1979–80LiverpoolPPY
1980–81Ipswich Town
1981–82Tottenham Hotspur
1982–83 LiverpoolPPY
1983–84LiverpoolPPY
1984–85Everton
1985–86EvertonPPY
1986–87Tottenham HotspurPPY
1987–88LiverpoolPPY
1988–89Liverpool
1989–90 Liverpool
1990–91Leeds United
1991–92 Tottenham Hotspur
1992–93Sheffield Wednesday
1993–94Blackburn Rovers
1994–95Tottenham Hotspur
1995–96Manchester United
1996–97Chelsea
1997–98ArsenalPPY
1998–99Tottenham HotspurPPY
1999–2000Manchester UnitedPPY
2000–01Manchester UnitedPPY
2001–02Arsenal
2002–03ArsenalPPY, FPY
2003–04 ArsenalPPY, FPY
2004–05ChelseaFPY
2005–06 Arsenal
2006–07Manchester UnitedPPY, FPY, YPY
2007–08 Manchester UnitedPPY, FPY
2008–09LiverpoolFPY
2009–10Manchester UnitedPPY, FPY
2010–11West Ham United
2011–12ArsenalPPY, FPY
2012–13Tottenham HotspurPPY, YPY
2013–14LiverpoolPPY, FPY, FSF
2014–15ChelseaPPY
2015–16Leicester City
2016–17 ChelseaPPY
2017–18 LiverpoolPPY, FPY, FSF
2018–19Manchester CityYPY
2019–20Liverpool

Breakdown of winners

By country

‡ — two winners

Winners by club