Haaland crowned PFA Player of the Year, Saka named Young Player of the Year

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland was named the recipient of the prestigious PFA Players’ Player of the Year award on Tuesday, recognizing his exceptional debut season with the treble-winning team. Meanwhile, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka was chosen as the men’s Young Player of the Year.

In the women’s category, the award went to Rachel Daly, a prominent figure in English football who plays for Aston Villa. The winners were voted on by their fellow players and the accolades were presented by the Professional Footballers’ Association in recognition of the finest male and female players in English football during the year 2023.

Haaland had an extraordinary first season with Manchester City, netting an impressive 52 goals across various competitions as Pep Guardiola’s side clinched the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League titles.

The 23-year-old outshone stiff competition from his teammates John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne, as well as Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and former Tottenham striker Harry Kane, now playing for Bayern Munich. Saka was rightfully awarded the men’s Young Player of the Year title, while Chelsea’s Lauren James claimed the women’s award.

Both Daly and James played vital roles for England in their journey to the Women’s World Cup final, although they suffered defeat against Spain earlier this month. Daly, who primarily played as a left-back for the Lionesses’ successful Euros campaign in 2022, astonishingly scored 22 goals in the Women’s Super League last season.

Daly faced strong competition for the award, including Sam Kerr, Frida Maanum, Guro Reiten, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, and Ona Batlle.

August 30, 2023