Remembering every English winner of the PFA Player of the Year award in the Premier League era

Phil Foden has been named winner of the PFA Player of the Year for 2023/24, the latest individual award to celebrate a career-best campaign at Manchester City.

Foden scored 19 league goals and laid on eight assists during the Citizens’ title success and added the PFA award to the FWA Footballer of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season accolades.

The 24-year-old has become just the eighth Englishman to win the award in the Premier League era and the first in 14 years.

Every English winner of the PFA Player of the Year award in the Premier League era:

Alan Shearer – 1994/95

Alan Shearer became the first English winner of the PFA Player of the Year award in the Premier League era.

Shearer was recognised after firing Blackburn Rovers to the Premier League title in 1994/95, as the forward’s ‘SAS’ partnership with Chris Sutton helped Rovers pip Manchester United to the championship.

He scored 34 league goals in the best campaign of his career to win the Premier League’s Golden Boot for the first time.

Les Ferdinand – 1995/96

Les Ferdinand was named the finest footballer in the Premier League in 1995/96 after an outstanding debut season at Newcastle United. Ferdinand arrived at St James’ Park in a  £6m deal from Queens Park Rangers and hit the ground running in the North East.

He scored 25 times in the Premier League for Kevin Keegan’s ‘Entertainers’, who agonisingly missed out on the title after blowing a big lead over Manchester United.

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Alan Shearer – 1996/97

Alan Shearer became the first two-time winner of the award in the Premier League era after celebrating a second success in 1996/97. Shearer had signed for Newcastle United in a world-record £15m deal that summer, having won the Golden Boot during England’s run to the semi-finals of Euro ’96.

He united with previous winner Les Ferdinand in a formidable frontline at St James’ Park and the two combined for 41 Premier League goals as the Magpies ended the season second. For Shearer, it was a third consecutive campaign as the league’s leading scorer.

Teddy Sheringham – 2000/01

Sir Alex Ferguson sought experience to replace Eric Cantona at Manchester United in 1997, adding Teddy Sheringham to his attacking options. The 31-year-old proved to be a fine option across four seasons with the club, where he won three Premier League titles and the Champions League among his honours.

Sheringham had featured predominantly as a squad player during his first seasons with the Red Devils but delivered his best campaign in 2000/01. He scored 15 goals for the title winners, earning him the PFA Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year awards. It proved to be his final season at Old Trafford, as he returned to his former club Tottenham at the end of the campaign.

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John Terry – 2004/05

John Terry became just the second defender to win the PFA Player of the Year in the Premier League era, following on from Paul McGrath’s success for Aston Villa in 1992/93.

Terry was recognised after captaining Chelsea to their first-ever Premier League title, as Jose Mourinho’s formidable side ousted Arsenal in the title race. Chelsea ended the campaign with just 15 goals conceded – a Premier League record.

Steven Gerrard – 2005/06

Steven Gerrard was voted the Premier League’s best player by his fellow professionals in 2005/06.

A year after leading Liverpool to success in the Champions League, Gerrard cemented his reputation as a big-game player with a brilliant individual performance against West Ham in the 2006 FA Cup final.

He ended the campaign with 23 goals in all competitions from midfield.

Wayne Rooney – 2009/10

Wayne Rooney won the 2009/10 award, adding the senior prize to the back-to-back PFA Young Player of the Year titles he won earlier in his career. After Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure to Real Madrid, the onus was on Rooney to become Manchester United’s talisman and he lived up to the billing.

Rooney scored 34 goals in all competitions, including the winner in the 2010 League Cup final and a brilliant brace to down AC Milan in the Champions League.

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Phil Foden – 2023/24

Phil Foden has become the first Englishman in over a decade to be recognised by the rest of the Premier League.

The 24-year-old returned career-high numbers for Premier League goals and assists, stepping up to the mantle in the absences of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland through injury. A crucial part of City’s record-breaking fourth title in a row, he also added the Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup in a season to remember.

It was a big night for the Manchester City academy, as fellow graduate Cole Palmer scooped the 2023/24 Young Player of the Season award.

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