FWA Footballer of the Year

FWA Footballer of the Year
Phil Foden won the award in 2024.
SportAssociation football
CompetitionAll levels of English football
CountryEngland and Wales
Presented byFWA
History
First award1947–48
Editions76
First winnerEngland Stanley Matthews
Most winsFrance Thierry Henry
(3 awards)
Most recentEngland Phil Foden
Websitefootballwriters.co.uk/awards

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.[1] 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 2023–24 is Phil Foden of Manchester City. Nine 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 (FWA), which comprises around 400 football journalists based throughout England.[2] The award was instigated at the suggestion of Charles Buchan, a former professional footballer turned journalist and one of the Association's founders.[3]

  1. ^ "England Player Honours – Football Writers' Association Footballers of the Year". England Football Online. 19 June 2007. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2008.
  2. ^ "About the FWA". Football Writers' Association. Archived from the original on 8 April 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2008.
  3. ^ "FWA Footballer of the Year Award". Football Writers' Association. Archived from the original on 19 September 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2008.