The Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year (often called the FWA Footballer of the Year, or in England simply the 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 2025–26 is Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United. Nine players have won the award on more than one occasion, with Thierry Henry and Mohamed Salah having won the award on the most occasions, with three wins each.

The winner is selected by a vote amongst the members of the Football Writers' Association (FWA), 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 78 occasions as of 2026, to 69 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 (PPY),
  • the Fans' Player of the Year award (FPY),
  • the Young Player of the Year award (YPY),
  • the Premier League Player of the Season award (PPS),
  • the Premier League Young Player of the Season award (PYPS),

thumb|right|upright|[[Neville Southall's 1985 win was the last time a goalkeeper received the award.]]

thumb|right|upright|[[Dennis Bergkamp won the award in the 1997–98 season.]]

thumb|right|upright|[[Thierry Henry was the first player to win the award in two consecutive seasons.]]

thumb|right|upright|[[Cristiano Ronaldo also won the award consecutively, in the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons.]]

thumb|right|upright|[[Steven Gerrard won the award in 2009, becoming the first Liverpool player to do so for nineteen years.]]

{|class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

|+Winners of the FWA Footballer of the Year

|-

!Year

!

!Player!!Club!!class="unsortable"|Also won!!class="unsortable" align=center|Notes

|-

| 1947–48 || ||align=left| Stanley Matthews || align=left| Blackpool || ||

|-

| 1948–49 || ||align=left| || align=left| Manchester United || ||

|-

| 1949–50 || ||align=left| || align=left| Arsenal|| ||

|-

| 1950–51 || ||align=left| || align=left| Blackpool|| ||

|-

| 1951–52 || ||align=left| || align=left| Wolverhampton Wanderers|| ||

|-

| 1952–53 || ||align=left| || align=left| Bolton Wanderers|| ||

|-

| 1953–54 || ||align=left| || align=left| Preston North End|| ||

|-

| 1954–55 || ||align=left| || align=left| Manchester City|| ||

|-

| 1955–56 || ||align=left| || align=left| Manchester City || ||

|-

| 1956–57 || ||align=left| (2) || align=left| Preston North End || ||

|-

| 1957–58 || ||align=left| || align=left| Tottenham Hotspur|| ||

|-

| 1958–59 || ||align=left| || align=left| Luton Town|| ||

|-

| 1959–60 || ||align=left| || align=left| Wolverhampton Wanderers|| ||

|-

| 1960–61 || ||align=left| (2) || align=left| Tottenham Hotspur || ||

|-

| 1961–62 || ||align=left| || align=left| Burnley|| ||

|-

| 1962–63 || ||align=left| (2) || align=left| Stoke City || ||

|-

| 1963–64 || ||align=left| || align=left| West Ham United|| ||

|-

| 1964–65 || ||align=left| || align=left| Leeds United|| ||

|-

| 1965–66 || ||align=left| || align=left| Manchester United|| ||

|-

| 1966–67 || ||align=left| || align=left| Leeds United|| ||

|-

| 1967–68 || ||align=left| || align=left| Manchester United|| ||

|-

| 1968–69 || <br />||align=left| <br /> || align=left| Manchester City<br />Derby County|| ||

|-

| 1969–70 || ||align=left| || align=left| Leeds United|| ||

|-

| 1970–71 || ||align=left| || align=left| Arsenal|| ||

|-

| 1971–72 || ||align=left| || align=left| Stoke City|| ||

|-

| 1972–73 || ||align=left| || align=left| Tottenham Hotspur|| ||

|-

| 1973–74 || ||align=left| || align=left| Liverpool|| ||

|-

| 1974–75 || ||align=left| || align=left| Fulham|| ||

|-

| 1975–76 || ||align=left| || align=left| Liverpool|| ||

|-

| 1976–77 || ||align=left| || align=left| Liverpool|| ||

|-

| 1977–78 || ||align=left| || align=left| Nottingham Forest|| ||

|-

| 1978–79 || ||align=left| || align=left| Liverpool|| ||

|-

| 1979–80 || ||align=left| || align=left| Liverpool ||PPY||

|-

| 1980–81 || ||align=left| || align=left| Ipswich Town|| ||

|-

| 1981–82 || ||align=left| || align=left| Tottenham Hotspur|| ||

|-

| 1982–83 || ||align=left| (2) || align=left| Liverpool ||PPY||

|-

| 1983–84 || ||align=left| || align=left| Liverpool ||PPY||

|-

| 1984–85 || ||align=left| || align=left| Everton|| ||

|-

| 1985–86 || ||align=left| || align=left| Everton ||PPY||

|-

| 1986–87 || ||align=left| || align=left| Tottenham Hotspur ||PPY||

|-

| 1987–88 || ||align=left| || align=left| Liverpool ||PPY||

|-

| 1988–89 || ||align=left| || align=left| Liverpool|| ||

|-

| 1989–90 || ||align=left| (2) || align=left| Liverpool|| ||

|-

| 1990–91 || ||align=left| || align=left| Leeds United|| ||

|-

| 1991–92|| ||align=left| (2) || align=left| Tottenham Hotspur || ||

|-

| 1992–93 || ||align=left| || align=left| Sheffield Wednesday|| ||

|-

| 1993–94 || ||align=left| || align=left| Blackburn Rovers|| ||

|-

| 1994–95 || ||align=left| || align=left| Tottenham Hotspur|| ||

|-

| 1995–96 || ||align=left| || align=left| Manchester United|| ||

|-

| 1996–97 || ||align=left| || align=left| Chelsea|| ||

|-

| 1997–98 || ||align=left| || align=left| Arsenal || PPY||

|-

| 1998–99 || ||align=left| || align=left| Tottenham Hotspur || PPY||

|-

| 1999–2000 || ||align=left| || align=left| Manchester United || PPY||

|-

| 2000–01 || ||align=left| || align=left| Manchester United || PPY||

|-

| 2001–02 || ||align=left| || align=left| Arsenal|| ||

|-

| 2002–03 || ||align=left| || align=left| Arsenal ||PPY, FPY||

|-

| 2003–04|| ||align=left| (2) || align=left| Arsenal ||PPY, FPY, PPS||

|-

| 2004–05 || ||align=left| || align=left| Chelsea || FPY, PPS ||

|-

| 2005–06 || ||align=left| (3) || align=left| Arsenal || PPS ||

|-

| 2006–07 || ||align=left| || align=left| Manchester United ||PPY, FPY, YPY, PPS||

|-

| 2007–08 || ||align=left| (2) || align=left| Manchester United ||PPY, FPY, PPS||

|-

| 2008–09 || ||align=left| || align=left| Liverpool || FPY||

|-

| 2009–10 || ||align=left| || align=left| Manchester United || PPY, FPY, PPS||

|-

| 2010–11 || ||align=left| || align=left| West Ham United || ||

|-

| 2011–12 || ||align=left| || align=left| Arsenal || PPY, FPY ||

|-

| 2012–13 || ||align=left| || align=left| Tottenham Hotspur || PPY, YPY, PPS ||

|-

| 2013–14 || ||align=left| || align=left|Liverpool || PPY, FPY, PPS, FSA ||

|-

| 2014–15 || ||align=left| || align=left|Chelsea || PPY, PPS ||

|-

| 2015–16 || ||align=left| || align=left|Leicester City || PPS ||

|-

| 2016–17 || ||align=left| || align=left|Chelsea || PPY, PPS ||

|-

| 2017–18 || ||align=left| || align=left|Liverpool || PPY, FPY, PPS, FSA ||

|-

| 2018–19 || ||align=left| ||align=left| Manchester City ||YPY ||

|-

| 2019–20 || ||align=left| ||align=left| Liverpool || ||

|-

| 2020–21 || ||align=left| ||align=left| Manchester City || PPS ||

|-

| 2021–22 || ||align=left| (2) || align=left|Liverpool || PPY, FPY ||

|-

| 2022–23 || ||align=left| || align=left|Manchester City || PPY, PPS, PYPS ||

|-

| 2023–24 || ||align=left| || align=left|Manchester City || PPY, PPS ||

|-

| 2024–25 || ||align=left| (3)|| align=left|Liverpool || PPY, PPS ||

|-

|2025–26

|

| align="left" |

| align="left" |Manchester United

|PPS

|

|}

Breakdown of winners

By country

thumbnail|The trophy awarded to the Footballer of the Year from 2015 onwards

{| class="wikitable"

|+Winners of the FWA Footballer of the Year by country

|-

!Width=27.5%|Country!!Width=12.5%|Number of wins!!Width=60%|Winning years

|-

| England|| ||1947–48, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1968–69<sup>‡</sup>, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2023-24

|-

| Scotland || ||1964–65, 1968–69<sup>‡</sup>, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1982–83, 1988–89, 1990–91

|-

| France || ||1995–96, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2016–17

|-

| Northern Ireland || ||1957–58, 1960–61, 1967–68, 1972–73

|-

| Portugal

|

|2006–07, 2007–08, 2020–21, 2025–26

|-

| Netherlands || ||1980–81, 1997–98, 2011–12

|-

| Wales || ||1983–84, 1984–85, 2012–13

|-

| Egypt || ||2017–18, 2021–22, 2024–25

|-

| Republic of Ireland || ||1948–49, 1999–2000

|-

| West Germany / Germany || ||1955–56, 1994–95

|-

| Italy || ||1996–97

|-

| Uruguay || ||2013–14

|-

| Belgium || ||2014–15

|-

| Norway || ||2022–23

|}

‡ — two winners

Winners by club

{| class="wikitable" style="width:90%"

|+Winners of the FWA Footballer of the Year by club

|-

!width=20%|Club!!Width=15%|Number of wins!!Width=65%|Winning years

|-

| Liverpool || ||1973–74, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 2008–09, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2024–25

|-

|Manchester United

|

|1948–49, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1995–96, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2025–26

|-

| Tottenham Hotspur || ||1957–58, 1960–61, 1972–73, 1981–82, 1986–87, 1991–92, 1994–95, 1998–99, 2012–13

|-

| Arsenal || ||1949–50, 1970–71, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2011–12

|-

| Manchester City ||||1954–55, 1955–56, 1968–69<sup>‡</sup>, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023-24

|-

| Leeds United || ||1964–65, 1966–67, 1969–70, 1990–91

|-

| Chelsea || ||1996–97, 2004–05, 2014–15, 2016–17

|-

| Everton || ||1984–85, 1985–86

|-

| Stoke City || ||1962–63, 1971–72

|-

| Wolverhampton Wanderers || ||1951–52, 1959–60

|-

| Preston North End || ||1953–54, 1956–57

|-

| Blackpool || ||1947–48, 1950–51

|-

| West Ham United || ||1963–64, 2010–11

|-

| Leicester City || ||2015–16

|-

| Blackburn Rovers || ||1993–94

|-

| Sheffield Wednesday || ||1992–93

|-

| Ipswich Town || ||1980–81

|-

| Nottingham Forest || ||1977–78

|-

| Fulham || ||1974–75

|-

| Derby County || ||1968–69<sup>‡</sup>

|-

| Burnley || ||1961–62

|-

| Luton Town || ||1958–59

|-

| Bolton Wanderers || ||1952–53

|}

See also

  • Premier League Player of the Season
  • PFA Players' Player of the Year
  • SPFA Players' Player of the Year
  • SFWA Footballer of the Year
  • PFAI Players' Player of the Year

References

  • Football Writers' Association