Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has been named the 2024/25 season Footballer of the Year for the Football Writers’ Association, while Arsenal’s Alessia Russo has secured the women’s accolade.
This season, Salah has netted 28 times for Liverpool, contributing to their Premier League triumph; he also signed a fresh contract with the team earlier this year.
Russo, on the other hand, has shone under coach Renee Slegers, scoring 12 goals across 20 WSL matches.
Salah achieved the win by the largest margin this century, garnering nearly 90 percent of the total votes.
He has recorded 28 goals and supplied 18 assists this season, aiding Liverpool’s Premier League victory, and is poised to be the league’s top scorer for this campaign.
This is Salah’s third time receiving the FWA Footballer of the Year award, matching the record after previous triumphs in the 2017/18 and 2021/22 seasons.
The 32-year-old now stands equal with former Arsenal forward Thierry Henry, who also won three FWA awards (2002/2003, 2003/2004, and 2005/2006).
Russo is the second female player from Arsenal to receive this honor, following Vivianne Miedema’s win in 2020.
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The significant enthusiasm for women’s football among FWA members was evident, as 36 different players were recognized with votes.
The England international is thriving in her second season with Arsenal, particularly under the guidance of new manager Renee Slegers.
She has the potential to win the award outright in the Gunners’ last WSL match of the season, as they face Russo’s former team, Man Utd, in a battle for second place in the standings.
Although Russo has not previously received the FWA award, she did win both the WSL Player of the Month and Goal of the Month in December.
Furthermore, the forward will participate in her inaugural Champions League final later this month, having tallied seven goals in the tournament this season.
“In the end, it’s all about the statistics. And the statistics of Mohamed Salah tell the whole story. Twenty-eight goals and eighteen assists.
The individual with the highest goal tally and the most assists must be recognized as the Football Writers’ Association’s Footballer of the Year.”
That sum of 46 total goals and assists surpasses Alexander Isak by 17 and is nearly twice as high as any other competitor in the Premier League. At no point in the league’s history has there existed such a significant disparity between the player with the highest goal contributions and everyone else.
With those astonishing statistics contributing to Liverpool’s Premier League championship, there is little room for debate regarding alternative candidates.
Salah proved to be the pivotal player this season, the crucial component for the exceptional team in the country.
