Ronaldo win both PFA and Young Player Awards
-
Cristiano Ronaldo became the first man since 1977 to win both the PFA Player and Young Player of the Year Award in the same season when he was honoured at a gala dinner in London. Not since Andy Gray scooped each of the coveted accolades 30 years ago has one player dominated the voting of his fellow professionals in such fashion. Ronaldo, 22, has been in awesome form for United, as the Red Devils remain on course for a Barclays Premiership, FA Cup and Champions League treble.
The achievement is all the more remarkable considering the somewhat harsh criticism the Portuguese winger received following England's demise at the World Cup. Ronaldo beat Chelsea striker Didier Drogba to the award, with United's former England midfielder Paul Scholes third.
Ryan Giggs and last year's winner, Steven Gerrard, also made the shortlist, alongside 19-year-old Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas. Ronaldo said it was a "big honour" to be singled out by his peers. He said: "It is a special night. It is amazing and a big honour for me to win trophies like this in the English Premier League. I am very proud.
Fabregas finished runner-up in the young player category as well, with 20-year-old Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon third. Ronaldo's team-mate Wayne Rooney (21) was also shortlisted, as were Reading striker Kevin Doyle, 23, and 18-year-old defender Micah Richards of Manchester City.
It was Manchester United who took centre stage at the Grosvenor House hotel this evening - with eight of their players making it into the Premier League team of the year and manager Sir Alex Ferguson being honoured with the PFA Special Merit Award.
Ronaldo said: "This shows what quality we have at Manchester United. "To have eight players in the team of the year is great." Ferguson paid tribute to his multi-talented young winger, who joined United from Sporting Lisbon in a £12.2million deal during August 2003. The United boss said: "When we saw him play in a pre-season friendly for Sporting against us, at half-time I knew we had to get him and I said to [then chief executive] Peter Kenyon 'we are not leaving the stadium until we get the boy'.
"At this moment in time, I think he is the best player in the world and his season has been incredible." PFA Player and Young Player of the Year 2007 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
PFA Premier League Team of the Year 2007 - Edwin van der Sar, Gary Neville, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra (all Man Utd); Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo (all Man Utd) & Steven Gerrard (Liverpool); Didier Drogba (Chelsea) & Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham)
Special Merit Award - Sir Alex Ferguson -
As expected..
-
congrats he deserved it
-
yeah.. he's excellent this season...
but i still think the PFA should have gone to The Drog... -
oh well... nothing is fair in tis world.
let's hope ronaldo got carried away n continue to perform like shit for remaining matches just like how he fared in boro's match.
-
no surprise
but the team of the year is shocking!
first time i ever seen so many players from one team -
Well deserved.
-
Zero Arsenal players in PFA Premier League Team of the Year 2007
I wonder if we should be called The Big Four anymore? -
yes i do think that there are better deserving players in the best eleven and there should be a spread of people from different clubs
-
well well.. shocking but very true..ronaldo deserves both awards..
for the team of the year..maybe too many manu players...haha..(ps.united fan here)...well...i think essien deserves to be in the team -
Nakamura takes top player award
Celtic's Shunsuke Nakamura completed an unforgettable day by being named the Scottish Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year. The award came just hours after the Japanese star had scored the goal that clinched the SPL title for his club.
Nakamura's Celtic team-mates Artur Boruc and Lee Naylor were on the shortlist of nominees, along with Aberdeen skipper Russell Anderson. Celtic's Gordon Strachan picked up the inaugural manager of the year prize. -
yea..team of the year selection was not really tt gd...
-
x2Originally posted by F.raon.I.R:well well.. shocking but very true..ronaldo deserves both awards..
for the team of the year..maybe too many manu players...haha..(ps.united fan here)...well...i think essien deserves to be in the team
carvalho and carragher deserves a place too. -
Ronaldo takes award from writers
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has beaten Chelsea's Didier Drogba to the Football Writers' Association Player of the Year award. The 22-year-old Portugal international has already been named player of the year by his fellow professionals. "Cristiano was a runaway winner, and deservedly so," said Paul Hetherington, chairman of the FWA.
Ronaldo's team-mates Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes were third and fourth respectively in the vote. Ronaldo has been in spectacular form for United, who remain on course for a Premiership and FA Cup double. He faced a backlash at the start of the season after his involvement in Wayne Rooney's sending-off against Portugal at the World Cup.
Hetherington added: "After the events of last summer at the World Cup, the vote of the Football Writers' Association shows that what we are all interested in is honouring the best player in the country.
"There has been no agendas carried over from last summer."