The trio of Premier League stars Bukayo Saka, Erling Haaland, and Marcus Rashford were big winners at the 50th edition of the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) awards held at the Lowry Theatre in Manchester on Tuesday.
The PFA Awards honour the top performers from the previous season and are voted for by the players and the fans alike.
Manchester City’s leading marksman, Haaland, who won the Premier League’s Golden Boot last campaign with a record 36 goals in 35 games, scooped the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award for an incredible debut campaign.
PFA Players’ Player of the Year. ????
Congratulations, @ErlingHaaland ????#PFAawards #PFA50 pic.twitter.com/vxKUrDRhjs
— Professional Footballers’ Association (@PFA) August 29, 2023
The 23-year-old Norwegian forward fended off competition from club teammates Kevin De Bruyne and John Stones, England captain and former Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, and the Arsenal duo of Saka and Martin Odegaard.
Haaland’s win makes him just the second City player to win the award after De Bruyne, who has won it twice previously. The former Borussia Dortmund forward is also the first overseas player to win the honour in his first season in over 20 years, after Ruud van Nistelrooy did it in 2001/02 during his time at Manchester United.
PFA Young Player of the Year. ????
Congratulations, @BukayoSaka87 ????#PFAawards #PFA50 @Arsenal pic.twitter.com/2IkkCLXDMh
— Professional Footballers’ Association (@PFA) August 29, 2023
Saka, on the other hand, picked up the PFA Premier League Young Player of the Year award for the first time in four trials. The 21-year-old Arsenal star enjoyed a stellar campaign last season with 14 goals and 11 assists in the Premier League.
He beat fierce competition from teammate Gabriel Martinelli, Haaland, Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa), Evan Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion), and newly-signed Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo to win the prize.
Saka becomes the first Arsenal men’s player to win the award since Jack Wilshere in 2011 and the first Gunners place to scoop the honour since Leah Wiliamson of the Arsenal women’s team did it in 2015.
Keep inspiring, @MarcusRashford ????
Following an impressive 2022/23 campaign, our no.???? has been voted the @PFA's #PL Fans' Player of the Year ????#MUFC || #PFAawards pic.twitter.com/Z3nXj2aORS
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 29, 2023
Likewise, English forward Rashford won the PFA Premier League Fans’ Player of the Year award for his immense contribution to the Red Devils success last season.
The 25-year-old was in red-hot form, hitting the back of the net 17 times and providing five assists as Erik Ten Hag’s side finished third in the league.
Additionally, both Saka and Haaland made the PFA Team of the Year selection, which had five players from City, four from Arsenal, and one each from Tottenham and Newcastle United.
The team includes Saka, Haaland, Odegaard, William Saliba, Aaron Ramsdale, Kane, Kieran Trippier, Stones, Dias, Rodrigo, and De Bruyne.
