Magnificent Mo is crowned PFA’s player of the year
MOHAMED SALAH’S spectacular season received the ultimate recognition last night when he was named as the Professional Footballers’ Association Players’ Player of the Year. The Liverpool forward edged the vote ahead of Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne after scoring 41 goals in his first year at Anfield. Leroy Sane’s exceptional season with Manchester City saw him clinch the Young Player of the Year award. Salah became the seventh Liverpool player to win the award and the first since Luis Suarez in 2014. The 25-year-old is favourite to win the Golden Boot and could also add the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year award to his haul, but his immediate priority is the first leg of Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final against his old club Roma tomorrow. ‘It’s a big honour. I’ve worked hard and I’m very happy to win it,’ said Salah, who became the first Egyptian to win the award. ‘Hopefully I’m not the last one! I’m very proud to win and I’ve worked very hard.’ After scoring in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at West Brom, Salah equalled the record Suarez shares with Alan Shearer and Cristiano Ronaldo for 31 goals in a 38-game Premier League season. And the Egyptian wants to make that feat his own and better their tallies in Liverpool’s remaining three games. He said: ‘To break the Premier League record is something huge in England and all over the world. I want to break this record and also break the one for (42-game season). Let’s see what will happen.’ Cyrille Regis’s contribution to the game was recognised with a posthumous Merit award. The ex-West Brom striker died of a heart attack in January aged 59 and his death led to an avalanche of tributes. His goalscoring prowess helped Coventry win the FA Cup in 1987, but he is perhaps best known now as a pioneer for black players at a time when racist attitudes were common in British football and society. Elsewhere, Chelsea Ladies striker Fran Kirby was named Women’s Player of the Year.