Mo Salah And Sam Kerr Wins The PFA Player Of The Year For 2022, While Man City duo Phil Foden and Lauren Hemp Wins Young Players.

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Chelsea Sam Kerr wins the PFA Player Of The Year For 2022, while Man City's duo Phil Foden and Lauren Hemp wins the Young Players award. 

Mo Salah has been recognised as the Men’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year, winning the prize for the second time after another remarkable season.

The Egyptian enjoyed a prolific season for Liverpool, equalling his record from last year  scoring 31 goals in all competitions and assisting 15 in 51 games, which saw him already scooped the Premier League‘s Golden Boot and Playmaker award in addition to FWA Footballer of the Year, PFA Fans’ Player of the Year and Liverpool Player of the Year.

He helped his club win the League Cup and FA Cup along the way, and also took part in the Champions League final against Real Madrid in what he hoped would be a chance for perfect revenge after previously losing against the same opponents in 2018.

However Jurgen Klopp’s men lost 1-0 at the Stade de France, bringing a disappionting end to the season after missing out on the Premier League to Man City on the last day of the season. Salah also reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations at the start of 2022.

The 29-year-old has further now been crowned PFA Players’ Player of the Year, a prized honour having been voted on by his fellow professionals.

It is the second time he has won the award, following his incredible debut season for Liverpool in 2017/18.

Salah emerged winner of the award ahead of fellow nominees Kevin De Bruyne who missed out after an exceptional season with Manchester City.

The 30-year-old Belgian, already a two-time winner of the award, enjoyed his best return in front of goal for the club as he notched 19 goals on the way to another Premier League title under Pep Guardiola.

While City were unable to progress to the Champions League final after losing out to Real Madrid in dramatic circumstances, De Bruyne was once again at the heart of his club’s league success.

Other nominees were teammates Virgil van Dijk, and, Sadio Mane, alongside Tottenham's Harry Kane and Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo.

Tottenham's Son Heung-min who finished as the league's joint top goalscorer with Salah, being the first Asian player to achieve that feat, was not been nominated for the PFA men’s Player of the Year award or neither did he make the final XI.

Mo Salah becomes only one of nine players in PFA Award History to have won the award twice, joining Mark Hughes, Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lucy Bronze, Kevin De Bruyne and Fran Kirby.

“It’s a great honour to win a trophy, individual or collective and this one is big so, very happy and very proud of that,” Salah said after winning the award.

“This one is a really good one to win, especially because it’s voted by players.

“It shows you that you’ve worked really hard and you get what you worked for. I have my room with trophies in a cabinet and I made sure that I had another space for one more.

“I always keep space and just try to imagine that the trophies are going to come.

“When you get older, you feel like you’re more stable and you know exactly what you want from football so I’m just trying to really chill and help the team,” he continued.

“That’s why I think I also won the playmaker because it’s like you’re more aware of the game, so you just try to make the people next to you better and try to make yourself better as well.”

Meanwhile, The women’s award was won by Chelsea and Australia star Sam Kerr after a league-winning season.

She becomes the first Australian footballer to win the award after being narrowly beaten in 2021 by Chelsea team-mate Fran Kirby.

The 28-year-old forward beat off competition from Vivianne Miedema, Pernille Harder, Alex Greenwood, Lauren Hemp and Kim Little to claim the award this year.

Kerr scored 20 goals, assisted 4, in 20 ganes to become the Women's Super League's top scorer this season. 

She was an instrumental part of Emma Hayes' domestic-double winning side, as Chelsea beat Man City to win back-to-back FA Cups, and also won a historic third consecutive league (WSL) title.

“It’s an amazing feeling. We’ve been chasing all year, to end up on top is amazing,” she said of her team’s dramatic late ascent to win the title.

Explaining how she was at the heart of crucial moments of the season, she said: “I think it’s all mental, those moments, I think in those moments it's those who can stay calmest. I just have belief in myself. Knowing that my team trusts me gives me confidence.”

The PFA Young Player of the Year award went to Man City's midfielder Phil Foden, who won the award from an all-English shortlist of Chelsea Reece James, Crystal Palace's Conor Gallagher, Aston VIlla’s Jacob Ramsey and Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.

Foden wins the award for a second year running, becoming the first player to do so since Dele Alli in 2016 and 2017.

He scored nine goals and five assists as he picked up his fourth Premier League winners’ medal.

Speaking after winning the award, Foden said: “I’m really honoured, especially to win it back-to-back. It shows that I’ve come a long way this year with the consistency of my game. I’m really pleased to win it again.

“I’ve been really happy with my performances this year. Hopefully I can win the main award in the future, but it’s all about taking small steps and improving.”

Another Man City player Lauren Hemp was named Women's PFA Young Player of the Year.

Lauren Hemp makes history as the first four-time winner of the award.

The 21-year-old won the trophy ahead of Lauren James, Frida Maanum, Jessica Naz, Ella Toone and Maya Le Tissier to become the most decorated PFA award winner of all time. 

She was also included in the PFA WSL team of the year.