The PFA Awards 2024 has deservedly rewarded the best players of the 2023/24 campaign with Manchester City duo in Phil Foden, Khadija Shaw among the best winners alongside Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.
Phil Foden beat out competitions from the likes of Erling Haaland who is also his teammate at Manchester City, Martin Ødegaard, Arsenal’s captain, Cole Palmer, Chelsea, Rodri also in Manchester City and Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa.
He played a pivotal role in Manchester City’s Premier League title pursuit, scoring a career-best 19 league goals and providing eight assists throughout the campaign. His impressive tally included two hat-tricks against Brentford and Aston Villa.
Foden’s contributions extended to the European stage, where he excelled in City’s Champions League campaign. He scored five goals and provided three assists in just eight appearances, including a memorable strike at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The PFA Awards 2024 ceremony which was held in Manchester today crowned Cole Palmer as the PFA young player of the year following his breakout season with Chelsea where he had 33 goals involvement, scoring 22 goals and assisting 11.
The 22 year old who is only outscored by Erling Haaland edged out England teammates in Bukayo Saka and Kobbie Mainoo, with Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho also among those nominated.
In the women’s category, Manchester City’s Khadija “Bunny” Shaw has been crowned PFA player of the year following an exceptional 2023/24 WSL campaign. Shaw finished the season as the league’s top scorer with 21 goals, including three hat-tricks, and three assists in just 18 appearances. This surpasses her previous season’s goal tally by one.
The Jamaican international receives the award for the first time, making her the third City player to be honored, joining Lucy Bronze and Izzy Christiansen. Shaw’s dominance is evident in the fact that her teammates Lauren Hemp and Yui Hasegawa were also among the top six nominees, along with Chelsea trio Erin Cuthbert, Niamh Charles, and Lauren James.
Grace Clinton has also been named as the PFA young player of the year following an outstanding breakthrough season in the WSL.
Clinton excelled during her loan spell with Tottenham Hotspur in the 2023/24 season, contributing four goals and four assists in 20 league appearances. She also made a significant impact in the League Cup and played a key role in Spurs’ run to the Women’s FA Cup final, although she was ineligible to face her parent club, Manchester United.
Her impressive performances earned her a call-up to the England national team for the first time in 2024 under manager Sarina Wiegman.