Manchester City’s Erling Haaland wins PFA Player of the Year award
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Manchester City striker Erling Haaland enjoyed a stunning debut season in English football, scoring 52 goals in 53 games in all competitions.
REUTERS
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LONDON – Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, with his hunger for goals, aims to “keep going” after he scooped the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award on Tuesday following his stellar first season with the treble winners.
England and Aston Villa star Rachel Daly won the women’s prize, earning the nod from fellow players.
Organised by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), the awards salute the best male and female players in English football in 2023.
Haaland enjoyed a stunning debut season for City, hitting 52 goals in 53 games in all competitions as Pep Guardiola’s men won the English Premier League, the FA Cup and the Champions League.
The 23-year-old saw off competition from teammates John Stones and Kevin de Bruyne, as well as from Arsenal pair Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard and former Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, now at Bayern Munich.
“It’s an honour to win this prestigious award. To be recognised by your competitors is a great feeling and I would like to thank everyone who voted for me,” Haaland said.
“It was an unforgettable season for the team and for me personally. Winning the treble was something I never imagined, so to achieve that with such a special group of players was an amazing feeling.
“John, Rodri, Ruben (Dias) and Kevin all deserve their place in the Team of the Year and I am delighted that their efforts have been rewarded with this recognition, too.”
He added: “We created some incredible memories last season but now we want to do the same again this year. We have started the season well and we need to keep going.”
The Norway international also achieved recognition in May, being awarded the titles of Premier League’s Player of the Season and Football Writers’ Association’s Player of the Year.
City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain said he was thrilled to see Haaland receive the latest award on Tuesday.
“We are so delighted for Erling that he has won this award,” he said.
“His goal-scoring record last season was obviously incredible and that alone marks him out as a special player.
“But his influence all over the pitch continues to grow and he has so much drive to keep improving even more and we are convinced he will get even better.”
England’s forward Rachel Daly (left) runs with the ball against Women’s World Cup final.
PHOTO: AFP
Saka, 21, was voted the men’s Young Player of the Year, while Chelsea’s Lauren James, who is also 21, picked up the women’s award.
Daly and James were key performers for England in their run to the Women’s World Cup final, which ended in defeat against Spain earlier in August.
Villa’s Daly scored 22 goals in the Women’s Super League last season, a remarkable achievement for a player who featured at left-back in the Lionesses’ successful European Championship campaign in 2022.
The 31-year-old beat off competition from Sam Kerr, Frida Maanum, Guro Reiten, Khadija Shaw and Ona Batlle.
AFP, REUTERS
