Haaland’s leader of pack in FWA awards

MANCHESTER CITY striker Erling Haaland and Chelsea star Sam Kerr have been named men’s and women’s Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association.

Haaland has scored a remarkable 51 goals in all competitions so far this season to lead City’s treble charge in his first year in English football after signing from Borussia Dortmund last summer. The Norwegian has already broken the Premier League’s singleseason scoring record, having netted 35 times, with four matches still to play and City firm favourites for the title.

Haaland (below) secured 82 per cent of the vote from FWA members to beat off competition from Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, who finished second and third respectively. Haaland’s City team-mate Kevin De Bruyne was fourth, with Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford rounding out the top five.

Kerr was a more surprising winner of the women’s award, the Australian picking up the prize for the second season in a row ahead of England forward Rachel Daly, who leads the Women’s Super League scoring charts, having netted 20 goals in as many games for fifthplaced Aston Villa.

Kerr’s 10 WSL goals have Chelsea in contention to win a fourth successive title, though Emma Hayes’s side still have work to do to overhaul Manchester United, who are top by a point, albeit having played a game more.

Kerr also scored five times during the Blues’ run to the Champions League semifinals and will hope to keep up her FA Cup Final record when Chelsea meet United at Wembley on Sunday, having scored twice in each of the last two showpieces.