Manchester, Aug 21 (IANS): Phil Foden has been Player of the Year by the members of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) following his outstanding 2023/24 season for Manchester City. Foden’s England teammate Cole Palmer was awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year Award. The PFA players' awards are one of the most prestigious awards in the country as the winners by those playing in the league.
Foden anchored City’s charge for the Premier League title, scoring a career-high 19 league goals along with eight assists over the course of the league campaign. There were two hat-tricks included in those 19 goals in victories over Brentford and Aston Villa. The 24-year-old was also a standout in Europe, finishing City’s Champions League campaign with five goals and three assists in only eight appearances, including a super strike at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Foden is a two-time winner of the PFA Young Player of the Year Award, claiming the prize in both 2021 and 2022. He won the PFA Player of the Year Award for the first time, in the same season that also saw him awarded the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year title Foden edged teammates Erling Haaland and Rodri to clinch the title, with Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins also shortlisted in the award’s Top Six.
Palmer has claimed the prize for the first time following an exceptional season for the Blues after his move to Stamford Bridge from Manchester City.
The 22-year-old scored 22 goals and assisted 11 others in the Premier League over the 2023/24 campaign, with only Erling Haaland netting more times than the England international.
“It’s very special, I just want to say thank you to all the players for recognising me and nominating me. The list (of previous winners) is full of amazing players, a lot of great players have won it so to be on that list is good. Chelsea is a great club with a lot of great players, all the players took to me when I first went there and especially the manager when I first went there. I want to win trophies with Chelsea but individual awards are nice as well,” said Palmer at the ceremony.
Palmer won the award ahead of two of his England teammates Bukayo Saka and Kobbie Mainoo, with Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho also among those nominated.