Phil Foden, the talented Manchester City forward, was honored with the prestigious Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award on Tuesday. The 24-year-old's exceptional performance throughout the last season was instrumental in City's remarkable achievement of securing an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title.
Foden's contributions were vital to Pep Guardiola's squad, as he consistently delivered on the pitch. With an impressive tally of 19 goals and eight assists, Foden played a pivotal role in City's thrilling title race against Arsenal, which culminated in a dramatic last-day victory for the Manchester club.
"To win this award is something very special and it is one that I am very proud of and grateful for. To be recognised this way by your fellow professionals means everything and I would like to thank everyone who voted for me," Foden said.
"I also want to pay special thanks to Pep, the City coaches and all my teammates as they help me to try and get better every single day."
Foden has expressed his ambition to secure a fifth consecutive Premier League title following the team's impressive 2-0 victory against Chelsea in their opening match of the season on Sunday.
"Last season was another very special one for everyone at the Club but now all our focus is concentrated on trying to achieve more success this term," he said.
Foden's exceptional performance throughout the 2023-24 season also earned him the prestigious Premier League player of the season award. His outstanding contributions on the pitch also led to his recognition as the Football Writers' Association footballer of the year.
Txiki Begiristain, the director of Football at Manchester City, expressed the club's delight at Foden's achievement, stating: "Everyone here is so thrilled to see Phil win this award. To have your fellow professionals recognise you in such a way is very special.
"Phil embodies everything we stand for at Manchester City. He is a supremely talented player but is someone who always strives to seek to improve. He is a very humble guy who is hugely popular throughout the Club. We are all very proud of him."
The shortlist for the prestigious accolade included several other notable players, such as Foden's teammates Erling Haaland, last year's winner, and Rodri. Additionally, Cole Palmer from Chelsea, Martin Odegaard from Arsenal and Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa were also nominated for the award.
Meanwhile, Chelsea's forward Cole Palmer secured the men's PFA young player of the year title.
Remarkably, the victories of Foden and Palmer marked a significant milestone, as it was the first instance since the 2009-10 season that both the senior and young player awards were bestowed upon English players. In that memorable year, Wayne Rooney and James Milner emerged as the recipients of the respective honors.
Palmer enjoyed a stellar breakthrough season after departing from Guardiola's Manchester City squad to join Chelsea. He showcased his goal-scoring prowess by scoring an impressive 22 goals in the Premier League, a tally surpassed only by the prolific Haaland.
Khadija Shaw, a Jamaican forward, was honored as the women's Player of the Year at the Manchester ceremony, where City dominated the major awards.
Shaw's impressive tally of 21 goals in the Women's Super League made her the top scorer, despite City narrowly missing out on the title to Chelsea due to goal difference.
"I am both happy and proud to have received this award, to be recognised in such a way by my peers is a very special honour," Shaw said.
