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.