The World Today
LONDON, 20 (dpa/EP)
Arsenal forward Mariona Caldentey of Spain and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah of Egypt have been named the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) men's and women's players of the year.
Salah, 33, scored 29 goals and provided 18 assists to help the Reds win the Premier League last season. The African's sensational form in the 2024-25 campaign saw him dominate the PFA members' voting and enter the history books as the first three-time Player of the Year winner.
For her part, Caldentey, 29, was named PFA Women's Player of the Year after scoring 19 goals in all competitions, eight of them as the Gunners won the Champions League, including a victory in the final against her former club, FC Barcelona.
Olivia Smith, who recently joined Caldentey at Arsenal in a world-record deal, has been named PFA Young Player of the Year following her superb season at Liverpool. Meanwhile, Morgan Rogers took home the Young Men's Player of the Year award after a brilliant campaign in which the Aston Villa midfielder made his England debut.
Salah is joined in the 2024-25 Premier League Team of the Year by Liverpool teammates Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, and Alexis Mac Allister. Milos Kerkez, who arrived at Anfield from Bournemouth in the summer, has also been selected, as has Arsenal's trio of William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Declan Rice.
Matz Sels and Chris Wood have been recognized for their strong campaigns at Nottingham Forest, while striker Alexander Isak has been included in recognition of his excellent performances at Newcastle last season. Chelsea's Cole Palmer and Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes have been left out of the starting lineup despite being candidates for player of the year.
The Women's Super League Team of the Year includes two players from champions Chelsea, Erin Cuthbert and Millie Bright. Caldentey, Alessia Russo, Emily Fox, and Kim Little have been selected, as have Manchester City's Yui Hasegawa and Mary Fowler, and the Manchester United trio of Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Maya Le Tissier, and Jayde Riviere.
