The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year (often called the PFA Young Player of the Year, or simply the Young Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football. The award has been presented since the 1973–74 season and the winner is chosen by a vote amongst the members of the players' trade union, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA). The first winner of the award was Ipswich Town defender Kevin Beattie. The current holder is Kyle Walker, who won the award while playing for Tottenham Hotspur.
Although the award is open to players at all levels, all winners to date have played in the highest division of the English football league system. As of 2012, only Ryan Giggs, Robbie Fowler and Wayne Rooney have won the award on more than one occasion. Only five players from outside the United Kingdom have won the trophy, compared with nine winners of the main PFA Players' Player of the Year award. Although they have their own dedicated award, players aged 23 or under at the start of the season remain eligible to win the Players' Player of the Year award, and on two occasions the same player has won both awards for a season.
A shortlist of nominees is published in April and the winner of the award, along with the winners of the PFA's other annual awards, is announced at a gala event in London a few days later. The players themselves consider the award to be highly prestigious, because the winner is chosen by his fellow professionals.
Read more about PFA Young Player Of The Year: Winners
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