Manchester City midfielder Foden named PFA Player of the Year

LONDON (Agencies): Manchester City’s England midfielder Phil Foden won the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Player of the Year award on Tuesday after helping his club win a record fourth successive Premier League title. The 24-year-old scored 27 goals in 53 appearances in all competitions last season as Pep Guardiola’s City also lifted the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup and were FA Cup runners-up. “Winning this award is something very special and I am very proud and grateful for it,” said Foden. “To be recognised in this way by your peers means everything and I would like to thank everyone who voted for me. I would also like to give a special thanks to Pep, the City coaches and all my teammates for helping me to get better every day.” Foden beat competition from City’s Erling Haaland, who won the award last year, and Rodri, plus Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins. “I’d also like to congratulate (teammates) Kyle (Walker), Rodrigo and Erling on being voted into the PFA Team of the Year, it’s great to see their amazing quality recognised in this way,” he added. Chelsea winger Palmer, 22, was named Young Player of the Year after scoring 22 goals in 34 Premier League appearances in his first season with the London club after leaving City. City’s Khadija Shaw was named Women’s Player of the Year, with Grace Clinton picking up the Young Player of the Year after excelling on loan at Tottenham Hotspur from Manchester United.