Cesc received over 60 per cent of the votes cast in our official online poll and richly deserves his award after an outstanding campaign at the heart of the Arsenal midfield.
The Spaniard, still just 20, has earned rave reviews since he burst onto the Premiership scene as a precocious teenager. But what is the perception of Fabregas in his home country? We asked Inigo Gurrachaga of newspaper El Correo for a Spanish perspective of Arsenal's prized asset.
Read on to find out how Fabregas grabbed the Spanish public's attention, how he adapted to international football, the reasons for his popularity and why he's even better than his idol, Pep Guardiola.
Inigo, when did you first hear about Cesc Fabregas?
"The first I heard was that he was a Spaniard in the Arsenal youth team being developed by Arsène Wenger. I had never heard of him before that and I was curious. Who was this guy? Little bits of information came out about how he got to Arsenal and suddenly he exploded into the first team. It is normal now that big clubs bring players in from academy sides abroad but at the time it was unusual. In that sense Wenger is a pioneer in European terms. It was a new phenomenon, now you can see Liverpool have signed a defender from Bilbao, Tottenham have got someone from the same club, but Arsenal were probably the first."
Were you surprised to see him doing so well?
"Yes, because there has always been a big question mark about Spanish players coming to Britain and when Fabregas came the only Spaniard who was established in the Premiership was Albert Ferrer at Chelsea. The likes of Luis Garcia and Xabi Alonso arrived later when Rafa Benitez took over at Liverpool. It is difficult for a Spanish youngster to come to England because the weather is so different, especially when you have lived somewhere like Barcelona, and there is a cultural shock to deal with. Some players, like Josemi at Liverpool, have to go home immediately because they just can't cope with it. Then you have someone like Fabregas, a clever, mature teenager who settles quickly. Wenger deserves credit because he brought Fabregas over when he was very young. That meant the player could adapt as an academy player instead of having to prove himself in the Premiership straight away. In a way he was allowed to become a Londoner before he became a Premiership footballer."
What is the perception of Fabregas in Spain?
"He is seen as a great guy, pleasant, humble, competitive and doing fantastically well at Arsenal. That is the Spanish perception of Fabregas. People appreciate that Fabregas is so young and yet has shown he is capable of competing abroad. He can actually travel, unlike some Spanish players. The fact that he has been competitive in the Premiership and the Champions League says a lot about his personality and people in Spain like that about him."
How has he adapted to international football?
"In the last year Fabregas has been the big issue in the Spain national side. In fact, his rapid progress disrupted the preparation of the Spain team before the last World Cup because they already had an established midfield but they knew they couldn't leave a player like Fabregas out of the squad. There is a real surplus of talent in Spain's midfield. Fabregas, Xavi, Alonso and Iniesta have similar elements in their games but everyone agreed that Fabregas was one of the best players at the last World Cup. It all depends on the shape the coach wants to play. I think Alonso is very good, he and Fabregas could player together. David Albelda is fantastic in a holding role. It is a question of how they all gel."
What are Fabregas' outstanding qualities?
"I think his vision is something you can't teach. He knows where the space is, who he can combine with on the pitch. I'm surprised by how much stamina he has too, that is very important to his game and has helped him adapt to the Premiership. He is small but he is not a delicate player, he covers the whole pitch and is not reluctant to get in and tackle. When someone tries to intimidate him he stands up to them. His mentality, touch and distribution are all excellent but the prevailing thing for me is how Fabregas can see through a defence and see where the combinations and one-twos are possible. He can pace himself and pace a match, but the vision of football in his brain is the most outstanding thing and it's most unusual for such a young player."
Can he have the same impact on the Premiership as Patrick Vieira did?
"Vieira had overwhelming power, especially alongside Petit, and I don't see Fabregas dominating the Premiership in the way Vieira and Roy Keane did, because he does not have that immense physical strength. The biggest rival to Fabregas is Michael Essien. He is probably better than Essien in terms of looking for forward positions and playing one-twos, whereas Essien just runs with sheer force. Fabregas has the capacity to score 12 or 15 goals a season, he has a good shot on him and looks for opportunities in and around the box. He was a bit tentative last season at times but the growing sense of security in his game will change that."
How will Thierry Henry's departure affect Fabregas' game?
"To lose Henry is to lose that goal against Blackburn at Ewood Park when they combined so well on the left. The combination of the two, their understanding, and the admiration Fabregas felt for Henry made it a very good partnership. Now Henry has gone and that will change the way Fabregas plays because his instinct was to look for Henry when he received the ball. It depends who comes in to replace Henry but the great thing about Fabregas is that he is such a clever guy, he has a fantastic football brain, and he will immediately try to understand how others play. He will develop other great partnerships with other team-mates."
Pep Guardiola was Fabregas' idol as a boy. Are there similarities in their style of play?
"Guardiola was his idol but I think Fabregas is better. Guardiola was such an elegant player, he was wonderful to watch. He played in the position of Claude Makelele although he did not have the same immense power for recovering the ball. Guardiola always made himself available for the defence and always found a team-mate. But I think Fabregas has more qualities. He can do that role but has more attacking power, more mobility. He doesn't give possession away either but Guardiola needed 'escorting' by two players in front of him while he did his job in a deeper position. For a Catalan boy like Fabregas, growing up in Barcelona, Guardiola was a perfect role model. He was a ball boy at the Nou Camp, just walking around watching the senior players, and then he came into the team and played beautifully, helping Barca to win their first European Cup when they beat Sampdoria at Wembley. Guardiola is very easy to identity with when you are a child from Barcelona who aspires to play."
