AFCON 2025
Mohamed Salah cemented his place in English football history after being crowned PFA Men’s Player of the Year for a record third time at the 2025 PFA Awards held today.
The Liverpool forward, who also won in 2018 and 2022, enjoyed a phenomenal season with 29 goals and 18 assists as he spearheaded the Reds to another Premier League title.
Arsenal star Mariona Caldentey was named Women’s Player of the Year after a brilliant debut campaign in England, where she scored 19 goals in all competitions and played a decisive role in Arsenal’s Champions League success.
Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers was rewarded for his breakthrough campaign with the Men’s Young Player of the Year award, becoming the first Villa player since James Milner in 2010 to claim the honour.
In the women’s game, Canada international Olivia Smith, who made headlines this summer by becoming the first female footballer to command a £1 million transfer fee when she joined Arsenal from Liverpool, was named Women’s Young Player of the Year.
The Team of the Year selections reflected Liverpool’s dominance, with Salah, Alexis Mac Allister, Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch all included. Arsenal had strong representation through William Saliba, Gabriel and Declan Rice, while Nottingham Forest’s Matz Sels and Chris Wood also earned places alongside Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, now of Liverpool, and Newcastle striker Alexander Isak.
Arsenal led the way in the Women’s Super League Team of the Year, with four players selected, while Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City also had key contributors recognised.
Special merit awards went to Sir Gareth Southgate and Emma Hayes for their outstanding contributions to English football.
One of the night’s notable storylines came from the absence of Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, who was named in the Team of the Year but skipped the event amid mounting speculation over his future and continued links with a move to Liverpool.
The evening ultimately belonged to Salah, who stood apart as the first man to win the prestigious prize three times, while Caldentey’s award underlined Arsenal’s growing dominance in the women’s game.
