Chelsea's Eden Hazard named PFA Player of the Year
Last updated on .From the section Football
Eden Hazard has won the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award.
Hazard, 24, has scored 13 goals and made eight assists in 33 Premier League games to help leaders Chelsea move to the cusp of the title.
The award was voted for by the Belgian midfielder's fellow professionals.
Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, 21, was named PFA Young Player of the Year, while Chelsea midfielder Ji So-Yun took the Women's Player of the Year award.
Hazard, who won last season's young player accolade, was handed the prize at the Grosvenor Hotel in London on Sunday.
"I'm very happy. One day I want to be the best and what I did this season is play very well, Chelsea played very well," he said.
"I don't know if I deserve to win but it is good for me. It is better to be voted by the players - they know everything about football.
"Personally I have played a good season, I have been there in the big games and I scored a lot of important goals, this is why I'm better this season."
Arsenal midfielder Leah Williamson, 18, won the Women's PFA Young Player of the Year award.
Young Player of the Year - Harry Kane
The 21-year-old was voted Young Player of the Year despite only beginning to feature regularly for the White Hart Lane club in November.
Kane has 30 goals in all competitions for Mauricio Pochettino's side this season and also scored on his England debut against Lithuania in March.
"It is amazing. It is a very proud moment for myself and my family - hopefully the first of many to come," said Kane about his award.
"I have got to keep working hard, but to be recognised by your fellow players is something special and it is a night I won't forget.
"I got the opportunity with the gaffer and I have really enjoyed my season so far - I have taken my chance."
| Kane's season in numbers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 30 | Shots on target | 42 |
| Starts | 24 | Shots off target | 27 |
| Minutes played | 2227 | Blocked shots | 24 |
| Goals | 20 | Shots to goal % | 29 |
| Minutes per goal | 111.35 | Shooting accuracy % | 61 |
| Assists | 4 | Chances created | 25 |
Teams of the Year
Six Chelsea players are in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.
Defenders Branislav Ivanovic, John Terry and Gary Cahill are joined by midfielders Nemanja Matic and Eden Hazard plus striker Diego Costa.
Southampton full-back Ryan Bertrand and Spurs striker Kane are also in a team voted for by top-flight players.
Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea, Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho and Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal also figure.
Lucy Bronze, 23, is the only player from Liverpool's championship-winning side to be selected in the Women's Super League Team of the Year.
Striker Troy Deeney, 26, is the only member of promoted Watford's side in a Championship Team of the Year that features players from nine different clubs.
Five players from champions Bristol City are selected for the League One Team of the Year.
The League Two select XI features players from Portsmouth, Plymouth, Southend, Bury, Luton, Exeter and Shrewsbury.
PFA Merit award - Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard
Former England midfielders Steven Gerrard, 34, and Frank Lampard, 36, shared the PFA Merit award.
The veteran pair will leave the Premier League for Major League Soccer in the United States in the summer, having collected 220 England caps between them.
"I'm a young boy from a council estate who has worked ever so hard to get to where I am today," said Gerrard, who will bring his 17-year career at Anfield to an end this summer when he joins Los Angeles Galaxy.
"I have been lucky, I have had a fantastic career, it has been full of highs and lows but some of the highs I have achieved have blown me away and I achieved a lot of my dreams playing for Liverpool and England.
"Frank is an unbelievable player, a world-class player and I couldn't ask for anyone better to share it with."
Lampard, on-loan at Manchester City from New York City FC, added: "I have been fortunate enough to have had a long time playing in the Premier League along with Steven.
"It is a great honour to be alongside a player who himself has done so much for the game. For the two of us to get it, it is a nice send-off and a nice ending for me."
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For the PFA Merit award, picking Gerrard & Lampard together will never work...
I think the fact that four candidates were entered in both categories is slightly farcical.
I'm given to understand that to qualify as a 'young player' you only have to be below the age of 24. In this day and age that seems very high.
My suggestion would be to cap the young player award at the age of 21 and only allow players to qualify for one award or the other.
Hazard has been great for chelsea.
Kanes impact at spurs is hard to argue against.
i know chelseas defence has been good all season but have both Cahill and Terry been the best CB this season?
id like to have seen Fonte in there instead
I would personally have gone for Fonte. Saints defence deserve more recognition.
WE WANT AN ARTICLE ABOUT LEICESTER AND THE RELEGATION BATTLE!!!
• on Just now
Where's Phil's article about Man U this weekend?
He still managed an extensive article on LVG regardless.
What I found insulting yesterday, was at the full time whistle at Goodison, the tv zoomed straight in on LVG & Rooney. No praise or credit given to Everton at all.
Disgraceful usual MU biased broadcasting.
Harry Kane bagging goals in a poor Tottenham side, awashed with susperstar expensive strikers, who aren't at his level - Well deserved
Dayzy
Spurs Fan
Replace Ivanovic with Clyne and Cahill with pretty much anyone.
The rest is about right.
This opinion would of course change instantly if he signed or Arsenal at which point he would become an instant God and I would have a statue of him in my back garden.
Absolutely the player of the year. Well deserved.
The answer: always yes, for every team.
Therefore, worthy winner. Well done Eden.
A really good professional.
Hazard isn't a striker, so his goalscoring record is bound to be worse than Suarez's.
Hazard
De Gea
Sanchez
How Kane got 2nd in the main competition I'm not really sure. He was sat on the bench for most of Spurs first 10 games. Compared to Coutinhos inclusion though it's a minor gripe. The Liverpool attacking midfielder who has 4 goals and 6 assists. Chadli, Fabregas, Henderson, Eriksen, Sterling even... all have had better seasons.