Luis Suarez and Eden Hazard headline the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) awards taking home the Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards.
It’s a turnaround that has not been witnessed since Eric Cantona decided to go all Muhammed ‘I’m hard’ Bruce Lee on Matthews Simmons back in 1995.
The Uruguayan sensation Luis Suarez has been honored by his fellow Premier League players as the 2013/2014 PFA Player of the Year, after coming so close to walking out of the English game at the end of last season.
The Liverpool striker was handed a 10-game ban by an independent regulatory commission for biting the Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during a 2-2 draw back in April 21; but he returned to the game to fire Liverpool into Premier League title contention with 30 goals in his SAS partnership with Daniel Sturridge.
“The Premier League is full of really great players and so it is a great honor when these players recognize your work on the pitch”, says Suarez. “Really this is for my teammates and the staff at Liverpool because without their help I wouldn’t have this prize.”
Suarez is the first Liverpool player to win the award since Steven Gerrard back in 2006.
PFA Player of the Year Shortlist
Luis Suarez (Liverpool) – Winner
Eden Hazard (Chelsea) – Runner-Up
Yaya Toure (Man City) – Third
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Adam Lallana (Southampton)
Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)
The PFA Young Player of the Year award went to Chelsea’s Eden Hazard. The Belgian midfielder has been an absolute revelation since signing from the French club Lille back in the summer of 2012.
The 23-year old scored 14 times and created 7 assists during Chelsea’s Premier League assault.
PFA Young Player of the Year Shortlist
Eden Hazard (Chelsea) – Winner
Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool) – Runner-Up
Luke Shaw (Southampton) – Third
Ross Barkley (Everton)
Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)
Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)
PFA representatives deliver the ballot forms to the grounds of 92 league clubs and 8 WSL clubs, and the only two stipulations are that players cannot vote for members of their own team, nor can a player win an award if their club doesn’t take part in the ballot.
The Premier League team of the year was also announced, and it was the first time in a quarter of a century than no Manchester United player made the starting 11.
Premier League Team of the Year
Goalkeeper: Petr Cech (Chelsea)
Defence: Vincent Kompany (Man City)
Defence: Gary Cahill (Chelsea)
Defence: Seamus Coleman (Everton)
Defence: Luke Shaw (Southampton)
Midfield: Adam Lallana (Southampton)
Midfield: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
Midfield: Yaya Toure (Man City)
Midfield: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Forward: Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)
Forward: Luis Suarez (Liverpool)
Further awards were also handed out to Donald Bell VC. The former Bradford player was the first professional footballer to ever enlist in the British Army when he joined the West Yorkshire Regiment in 1915.
He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 5 July 1916 at Horseshoe Trench, Somme, France, and was killed in action on 10 July 1916.
He was awarded the PFA Merit award.
Liverpool were also well represented in the female awards with Liverpool Ladies star Lucy Bronze picking up the PFA Player of the Year award, and the young defender Martha Harris taking the women’s PFA Young Player of the Year award.
