Virgil van Dijk and Vivianne Miedema were included in a Team of the Year of the English players’ union PFA on Thursday. The Dutch were also nominated for the Player of the Year award, but those awards went to Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and Chelsea striker Sam Kerr.
The PFA has been awarding all kinds of prizes every year since the 1973/1974 season. All unionized footballers and soccer players will vote tomorrow.
Arsenal striker Miedema was among the six nominees for Footballer of the Year, but the 2019 winner had to lose out to Kerr. The Women’s Super League top scorer (twenty goals) is the first Australian to receive the award. Miedema did get a place in the best team of 2021/2022 in the WSL.
Manchester City’s 21-year-old Lauren Hemp was named best young football player of the year.
Team of the Year in WSL
- Goalkeeper: Ann-Katrin Berger (Chelsea)
- Defenders: Ona Batlle (Manchester United), Leah Williamson (Arsenal), Millie Bright (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City)
- Midfielders: Kim Little (Arsenal), Caroline Weir (Manchester City), Guro Reiten (Chelsea)
- Attackers: Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Sam Kerr (Chelsea), Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal)
Salah honored for second time by PFA
Among the men, Salah was awarded the PFA’s Player of the Year award for the second time. The 29-year-old Egyptian was the best earlier in the 2017/2018 season. A year later the prize went to Van Dijk and the last two seasons Kevin De Bruyne was the best.
The champions Manchester City’s midfielder was now also nominated, as were Van Dijk, Sadio Mané (Liverpool), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) and Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur).
Manchester City talent Phil Foden was voted best young player of the year.
The Premier League’s Team of the Year includes no fewer than six Liverpool players, including Van Dijk. Champion City has to make do with three delegates.
Team of the Year in Premier League
- Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
- Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea), Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)
- Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Thiago Alcantara (Liverpool), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
- Attackers: Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)