Arsenal Player of the Season
Thierry Henry has won the award four times, the most of any player
SportAssociation football
Awarded forbeing the best performing Arsenal player over the course of a season
Presented byArsenal F.C.
History
First award1967 (1967)
Editions57 (as of 2023)
First winnerScotland Frank McLintock
Most winsFrance Thierry Henry (4 times)
Most recentNorway Martin Ødegaard
(2022–23)

The Arsenal Player of the Season award is an official award given by Arsenal Football Club to the best performing player from the club over the course of the season. The award is given based on votes by Arsenal fans on the club's website,[1][2] it was previously based on votes by the Arsenal Supporters' Trust.[3]

The inaugural award was handed to Frank McLintock in 1967 and it has been presented every season since.[3] The 2015–16 and 2016–17 awards were officially called the Vitality Arsenal Player of the Season Award for sponsorship purposes.[4][5] The award has been given to 42 different players over the course of 57 seasons, with 11 players being awarded on more than one occasion. Of these players, only Thierry Henry has won the award four times, and he is also the only player to have won the award in three consecutive years. In 1976, Republic of Ireland international Liam Brady became the first Arsenal player from outside the United Kingdom to win the award and in 1997, Dutch international Dennis Bergkamp became the first player from outside the British Isles to receive it.[3] Following the 2014−15 season, Chilean international Alexis Sánchez was voted to become the first player from outside of Europe to win the award.[3][6]

Martin Ødegaard is the most recent winner of the award, following the 2022–23 Arsenal season.[7]

Award recipients

Frank McLintock won the inaugural award in 1967.
George Armstrong won the award in 1970.
Alan Smith won the 1989 award, being the league's top scorer.[8]
Jens Lehmann won the award in 2006.
Cesc Fàbregas won the award in 2007 and 2010.
Robin van Persie won the award in 2009 and 2012.
Aaron Ramsey won the award in 2014 and 2018.

Players in bold are still playing for Arsenal[9][7]

Award recipients
Season Player Nationality Position
1966–67 Frank McLintock  Scotland Defender
1967–68 John Radford  England Forward
1968–69 Peter Simpson  England Defender
1969–70 George Armstrong  England Forward
1970−71 Bob Wilson  Scotland Goalkeeper
1971–72 Pat Rice  Northern Ireland Defender
1972–73 John Radford (2)  England Forward
1973–74 Alan Ball  England Midfielder
1974–75 Jimmy Rimmer  England Goalkeeper
1975–76 Liam Brady  Republic of Ireland Midfielder
1976–77 Frank Stapleton  Republic of Ireland Forward
1977–78 Liam Brady (2)  Republic of Ireland Midfielder
1978–79 Liam Brady (3)  Republic of Ireland Midfielder
1979–80 Frank Stapleton (2)  Republic of Ireland Forward
1980–81 Kenny Sansom  England Defender
1981–82 John Hollins  England Defender
1982–83 Tony Woodcock  England Forward
1983–84 Charlie Nicholas  Scotland Forward
1984–85 Stewart Robson  England Midfielder
1985–86 David Rocastle  England Midfielder
1986–87 Tony Adams  England Defender
1987–88 Michael Thomas  England Midfielder
1988–89 Alan Smith  England Forward
1989–90 Tony Adams (2)  England Defender
1990–91 Steve Bould  England Defender
1991–92 Ian Wright  England Forward
1992–93 Ian Wright (2)  England Forward
1993–94 Tony Adams (3)  England Defender
1994–95 David Seaman  England Goalkeeper
1995–96 Martin Keown  England Defender
1996–97 Dennis Bergkamp  Netherlands Forward
1997–98 Ray Parlour  England Midfielder
1998–99 Nigel Winterburn  England Defender
1999–2000 Thierry Henry  France Forward
2000–01 Patrick Vieira  France Midfielder
2001–02 Robert Pires  France Forward
2002–03 Thierry Henry (2)  France Forward
2003–04 Thierry Henry (3)  France Forward
2004–05 Thierry Henry (4)  France Forward
2005–06 Jens Lehmann  Germany Goalkeeper
2006–07 Cesc Fàbregas  Spain Midfielder
2007–08 Mathieu Flamini  France Midfielder
2008–09 Robin van Persie  Netherlands Forward
2009–10 Cesc Fàbregas (2)  Spain Midfielder
2010–11 Jack Wilshere  England Midfielder
2011–12 Robin van Persie (2)  Netherlands Forward
2012–13 Santi Cazorla  Spain Midfielder
2013–14 Aaron Ramsey  Wales Midfielder
2014–15 Alexis Sánchez  Chile Forward
2015–16 Mesut Özil  Germany Midfielder
2016–17 Alexis Sánchez (2)  Chile Forward
2017–18 Aaron Ramsey (2)  Wales Midfielder
2018–19 Alexandre Lacazette  France Forward
2019–20 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang  Gabon Forward
2020–21 Bukayo Saka  England Midfielder
2021–22 Bukayo Saka (2)  England Midfielder
2022–23 Martin Ødegaard  Norway Midfielder

Multiple wins

Players with multiple wins
Rank Winner Total wins Years won
1  Thierry Henry (FRA) 4 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005
2  Liam Brady (IRL) 3 1976, 1978, 1979
 Tony Adams (ENG) 1987, 1990, 1994
3  John Radford (ENG) 2 1968, 1973
 Frank Stapleton (IRL) 1977, 1980
 Ian Wright (ENG) 1992, 1993
 Cesc Fàbregas (ESP) 2007, 2010
 Robin van Persie (NED) 2009, 2012
 Alexis Sánchez (CHI) 2015, 2017
 Aaron Ramsey (WAL) 2014, 2018
 Bukayo Saka (ENG) 2021, 2022

Wins by nationality

Wins by nationality
Nationality Wins
 England 26
 France 8
 Republic of Ireland 5
 Netherlands 3
 Scotland 3
 Spain 3
 Chile 2
 Germany 2
 Wales 2
 Gabon 1
 Northern Ireland 1
 Norway 1

Wins by playing position

Wins by playing position
Position Wins
Goalkeeper 4
Defender 11
Midfielder 20
Forward 22

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Lacazette wins Arsenal Player of the Year award". Goal. 4 May 2019. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  2. ↑ "Bukayo Saka named Arsenal player of the season". BBC Sport. 8 June 2022. Archived from the original on 20 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Maidment, Jem (2006). The Official Arsenal Encyclopedia. London: Hamlyn. p. 148. ISBN 9780600615491.
  4. ↑ "Vitality Player of Season – the winner." Arsenal F.C. 26 May 2017. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  5. ↑ "Vitality Player of the Season". Arsenal F.C. 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 20 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  6. ↑ James, Josh (31 May 2022). "'I played for the club of my dreams'". Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  7. 1 2 Rogers, Jonathon (9 June 2023). "Martin Odegaard named 2022/23 Player of the Season". Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  8. ↑ Miller, Nick (9 February 2017). "Golden Goal: Alan Smith for Arsenal v Liverpool (1989)". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  9. ↑ "Icons that have won our Men's Player of the Season". Arsenal F.C. 25 May 2023. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.

Further reading

  • Brennan, Dan (2004). The official Arsenal miscellany. London: Hamlyn. p. 91. ISBN 9780600612599.
  • Seager, Dave (20 November 2014). Geordie Armstrong: On the Wing. Legends Publishing. pp. 16–17. ISBN 9781906796549.
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