Eden Hazard Virgil van Dijk Raheem Sterling PFA awardGetty/Goal composite

PFA Premier League player of the year: Nominees, favourites, odds & when is the award ceremony?

The 2018-19 English football season is nearing a conclusion, though plenty more is still left to be decided before the end of the campaign.

Though key league positions and honours are still left to be decided, there have already been a slew of outstanding individual performances.

The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year award is set to be announced at the end of this month and is the pinnacle of individual recognition in England.

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Goal brings you everything you need to know about the prestigious honour including nominees, past winners and key dates.


PFA Player of the Year 2018-19 nominees


The list of six nominees for Player of the Year was announced on April 20, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City all represented.

City stars Sergio Aguero, Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling made the shortlist, while Eden Hazard is Chelsea's representative.

Liverpool players Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk are in the running, but there is no room for Mohamed Salah.

PlayerClubNational team
Sergio AgueroMan CityArgentina
Eden HazardChelseaBelgium
Bernardo SilvaMan CityPortugal
Raheem SterlingMan CityEngland
Virgil van DijkLiverpoolNetherlands

PFA Young Player of the Year 2018-19 nominees


As well as the Player of the Year, the PFA will also hand out a Young Player of the Year award.

The six nominees include Trent Alexander-Arnold, David Brooks, Marcus Rashford and Declan Rice, while Silva and Sterling have also been named.

PlayerClubNational team
Trent Alexander-ArnoldLiverpoolEngland
David BrooksBournemouthWales
Marcus RashfordMan UtdEngland
Declan RiceWest HamEngland
Bernardo SilvaMan CityPortugal
Raheem SterlingMan CityEngland

Who are the favourites?


Liverpool defender Van Dijk is considered the marginal favourite for the main award by bet365, who price the Netherlands international at 1/3 to win.

Sterling follows the Reds centre-back closely at 11/4 and it is really a straight shootout between those two, if the bookies are to be believed.

Aguero is a 25/1 bet, while Hazard, Mane and Silva's chances are each rated 50/1.

Sterling is also a strong candidate to emerge with the Young Player of the Year award , as is his Man City team-mate Silva.

Manchester United's Marcus Rashford follows in the reckoning, with Rice, Alexander-Arnold and Brooks deemed outside bets.


When is the 2018-19 PFA Player of the Year announced?


Virgil Van Dijk Liverpool

Award winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on April 28. Events kick off at 9:30pm BST (4:30pm ET) and it can be watched live on the official PFA Twitter account.

The 46th edition of the event will be attended by players and several key representatives from the English game to honour and celebrate the performances of some standout players.

Alongside the announcement of the PFA Player of the Year, the PFA Young Player of the Year will also be honoured, as well as the divisional teams of the year for the top five English divisions.

The PFA Merit Award will also be confirmed, with previous honorees including the likes of Pele and David Beckham.


What is PFA Player of the Year?


هنري مع جائزة الأفضل في إنجلترا في 2004

The PFA Player of the Year award is an annual honour given to the player who was voted to have played the best over the course of the English domestic campaign.

The award is handed out by the PFA, a trade union for footballers in England, and involves a ballot of its own members.

Since the award is voted by players, it is also known as the 'PFA Players' Player of the Year' and is thought to be one of the most prestigious individual accolades in the country.

The award was first introduced in 1974 and former winners include Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry and Gary Lineker. Former Leeds United defender Norman Hunter was the first ever PFA Player of the Year.


Who votes & how does it work?


Members of the PFA cast their vote for the PFA awards, which includes the categories of Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Team of the Year.

Representatives of the association visit each of the 92 participating league clubs, as well as the 10 Women's Super League (WSL) clubs, to deliver ballot forms.

Section A of the form is for to the Player of the Year, Section B is reserved for the Young Player of the Year and Section C is used to vote for the Team of the Year.

Ballot rules conclude that a player is forbidden to vote for a player who plays for the same club as them. A player also cannot win the award if his club has not taken part.

After a member has completed their ballot, they return it to a PFA representative who will then seal the vote.

An independent company is used to count and verify the votes.


Who was PFA Player of the Year last year?


Mohamed Salah Liverpool 2017Getty Images

Salah was crowned the PFA Player of the Year last season after netting an incredible 41 goals in his debut season for Liverpool, breaking numerous records as the Reds clinched fourth place in the Premier League and a runners-up position in the Champions League.

The Egypt international beat out the Kevin De Bruyne for the top prize, who came in a close second, with Tottenham striker Harry Kane coming in third.


PFA Team of the Year 2018-19


PFA Premier League Team of the Year

The PFA revealed its Team of the Year on April 25 in the lead up to the awards ceremony.

The XI, voted for by players, was dominated by Liverpool and Man City representatives, with only one selection - Manchester United's Paul Pogba - not hailing from either of those teams.

City goalkeeper Ederson got the nod over his Brazil team-mate Alisson, while the defence featured three Liverpool stars - Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson - alongside Aymeric Laporte.

The three-man midfield includes Pogba as well as Man City duo Fernandinho and Bernardo Silva.

Last season's Player of the Year Salah is a notable omission, as is Chelsea's Eden Hazard, with both players missing out in favour of Sadio Mane, Sergio Aguero and Sterling.

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