Erling Haaland named FWA Footballer of the Year
Manchester City striker Erling Braut Haaland has been named the 2023 Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year.
The Norway international received 82% of the votes among around 800 members – the biggest margin since the Premier League began in 1992-93.
Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard finished second and third respectively, while Haaland’s teammate Kevin De Bruyne (fourth) and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford (fifth) complete the top five – 14 other players also received votes for the annual award.
Haaland – who has also been named the Premier League Player of the Month for April – has enjoyed a remarkable debut campaign for Man City since joining the club from Borussia Dortmund last summer and has etched his name into the history books after breaking a plethora of goalscoring records.
Earlier this season, the 22-year-old became City’s all-time leading scorer in a single season, surpassing the 94-year record of 38 goals netted by Tommy Johnson back in the 1928-29 campaign.
Haaland recently became the first player in Premier League history to score 35 goals in a single season, breaking the previous record held by both Andy Cole and Alan Shearer (34 goals).
City’s No.9 has excelled across all competitions this term with a mind-boggling 51 goals in just 47 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side, including 12 strikes in nine Champions League outings, and he has been the figurehead behind the Citizens’ push to win the treble.
The reigning Premier League champions currently sit top of the table and are seeking to claim their fifth top-flight title in six seasons, while they are also competing in the Champions League semi-finals and have a FA Cup final against rivals Manchester United to look forward to next month.
Haaland becomes the third Man City player to win the FWA award – that was won by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah last year – over the last five years after Raheem Sterling in 2019 and Ruben Dias in 2021.
The Norwegian also becomes just the fourth player to receive the award in their first season playing in England, after Dias, Gianfranco Zola (1997) and Jurgen Klinsmann (1995).
“To win the Football Writers’ Award in my first season in English football is an honour,” Haaland told mancity.com. “I try every single day to be the best I can be, and to be recognised like this means a lot to me.
“I have loved my time at City so far – my teammates are incredible, and they provide me with the chances to score goals. I want to thank all of them, because I could not have won this award without them.
“I also owe so much to Pep and the team behind the team here at City. Everybody has been so good to me since I joined and I have never worked with such top professionals.
“Thank you to everyone who voted for me. It’s a real honour to have won this award. I am now focused on ensuring I finish the season as strongly as possible and helping City win trophies.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea forward Sam Kerr has won the Women’s FWA Footballer of the Year award for the second successive year, receiving twice as many votes as Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly in second place.
Both Haaland and Kerr will receive their awards on May 25 at the Landmark Hotel London where they a special Footballer of the Year dinner will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the award, first won by Sir Stanley Matthews back in 1948.
