The Professional Footballers' Association
  Players' Player of the Year award, first made
    in 1974, goes to the player deemed to have turned in the season's best
    overall performance in English league play.  The winner is chosen by vote of the
  Association's members based on performance in the
  season ending in the year the award is made.  Any player in England's
  football leagues is eligible for the award regardless of his country of birth.  
  As of 2009, the award had been made 36 times, and 15 England players had won the award 16 times, one of
  them (Alan Shearer) having
  gained it twice.