By Dorcas Francis Koji
The Premier League has produced some of the greatest individual performances in English football since its formation in 1992, and its Player of the Season award has become one of the competition’s most prestigious individual honours.
The award was introduced at the end of the 1994/95 campaign, two years after the Premier League was established. Blackburn Rovers striker Alan Shearer became the first player to receive the honour after playing a key role in his side’s title-winning campaign.
Since then, the award has been won by a remarkable list of stars, including Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Luis Suarez, Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland.
The winners also provide a snapshot of the Premier League’s changing landscape, from Manchester United’s dominance in the early years to Arsenal’s rise, Chelsea’s success and the emergence of Manchester City and Liverpool as modern powerhouses.
According to records compiled from the Premier League and FA, the complete list of winners is:
- 1994/95 — Alan Shearer, Blackburn Rovers
- 1995/96 — Peter Schmeichel, Manchester United
- 1996/97 — Juninho, Middlesbrough
- 1997/98 — Michael Owen, Liverpool
- 1998/99 — Dwight Yorke, Manchester United
- 1999/00 — Kevin Phillips, Sunderland
- 2000/01 — Patrick Vieira, Arsenal
- 2001/02 — Freddie Ljungberg, Arsenal
- 2002/03 — Ruud van Nistelrooy, Manchester United
- 2003/04 — Thierry Henry, Arsenal
- 2004/05 — Frank Lampard, Chelsea
- 2005/06 — Thierry Henry, Arsenal
- 2006/07 — Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United
- 2007/08 — Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United
- 2008/09 — Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United
- 2009/10 — Wayne Rooney, Manchester United
- 2010/11 — Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United
- 2011/12 — Vincent Kompany, Manchester City
- 2012/13 — Gareth Bale, Tottenham Hotspur
- 2013/14 — Luis Suarez, Liverpool
- 2014/15 — Eden Hazard, Chelsea
- 2015/16 — Jamie Vardy, Leicester City
- 2016/17 — N’Golo Kante, Chelsea
- 2017/18 — Mohamed Salah, Liverpool
- 2018/19 — Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool
- 2019/20 — Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City
- 2020/21 — Ruben Dias, Manchester City
- 2021/22 — Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City
- 2022/23 — Erling Haaland, Manchester City
- 2023/24 — Phil Foden, Manchester City
- 2024/25 — Mohamed Salah, Liverpool
- 2025/26 — Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United
Five players have won the award twice: Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nemanja Vidic, Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah.
Ronaldo holds another distinction as the only player to win the honour in consecutive seasons, claiming the award in 2006/07 and 2007/08 during Manchester United’s dominant period under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Henry’s two triumphs with Arsenal also cemented his status as one of the defining players of the Premier League era, while De Bruyne’s victories reflected Manchester City’s emergence as a dominant force in English football.
Salah has likewise become one of Liverpool’s most influential modern players, winning the award twice, while Haaland became the latest Manchester City star to receive the recognition after his prolific goalscoring campaigns.
The latest addition to the roll of honour is Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, who was named the 2025/26 Premier League Player of the Season.
From Shearer’s title-winning campaign with Blackburn to Fernandes’ recognition more than three decades after the competition was created, the award continues to chronicle the outstanding players who have shaped different generations of Premier League football.
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