PFA Young Player of the Year: Manchester City duo Phil Foden and Lauren Hemp win 2022 awards | Football News

Manchester City duo Phil Foden and Lauren Hemp have won the 2022 PFA Young Player of the Year awards.

Foden played a key role in Pep Guardiola’s title-winning side and claims the award for the second year in a row after beating off competition from Conor Gallagher, Reece James, Jacob Ramsey, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.

The 22-year-old becomes the sixth player to win the Young Player of the Year trophy back to back, joining Ryan Giggs, Robbie Fowler, Wayne Rooney, Dele Alli and City Women forward Hemp.

An important player for club and country, Foden was named the Premier League’s young player of the season in May. He was City’s fourth-highest goalscorer during the 2021/22 season, netting nine in the league, three in the Champions League and one each during City’s FA and League Cup campaigns.

PFA members vote for the winners of each award, choosing the players they feel have put in the best performances all year. Receiving the award, Foden said: “I’m really honoured to be honest, especially to win it back to back. It shows that I’ve come a long way this year with the consistency of my game, and I’m really pleased to win it again.

“All the best players in the world have got to show consistency and keep performing at the highest level, and this year I’ve just tried to do that and try and help my team as much as possible – I’ve been really happy with my performances this year.

“Hopefully I can win the main award in the future, but it’s all about taking small steps and improving. I always love winning individual awards, it’s just nice to look at and see how far you’ve come so, yeah, I’m really pleased.”

Analysis: Foden thriving under Pep’s guidance

Sky Sports’ Nick Wright:

Like Mohamed Salah’s success in the senior category, Foden’s triumph puts him in esteemed company.

The 22-year-old is only the sixth player to win a second consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year award after Ryan Giggs, Robbie Fowler, Wayne Rooney, Dele Alli and City Women forward Hemp.

Foden is of course long established as the Premier League’s outstanding young talent but this was the season in which he turned into something more, becoming a central figure in the best team in the land. Of City’s attacking players, only Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva played more minutes.

His progress has followed a steep upward trajectory and it owes a lot to the careful management of Pep Guardiola, who has been rewarded for easing him in gradually, increasing his playing time from season to season, allowing him to blossom at his own pace.

The results are now clear to see.

Foden has gone from embellishing City performances to defining them himself, his contribution to their latest title success all the more impressive for the way in which he switched positions, playing everywhere from central midfield to false nine, giving Guardiola what he needed, when he needed it, and excelling on a consistent basis.

Hemp becomes four-time winner

In another impressive season for Manchester City, Lauren Hemp makes history as the first four-time winner of the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

The 21-year-old won the trophy ahead of Lauren James, Frida Maanum, Jessica Naz, Ella Toone and Maya Le Tissier to become the most decorated PFA award winner of all time. She was also included in the PFA WSL team of the year.

In April this year, Hemp became the latest City centurion, reaching 100 appearances in a match against Brighton and going on to score the club’s 100th goal of the season. In total, she scored 10 goals in 22 WSL appearances.

Hemp’s fellow PFA members also nominated her for both the PFA Players’ Player and Young Player of the Year awards – a feat she has now achieved two years running. Only Mark Hughes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney have won PFA awards in more than one category, with Hemp firmly on track to be the first woman to join them.

She said: “It’s an honour to get this again. I think especially for it to be voted for by players that I’ve played against and come up against. I mean, I look to many of them as role models as well so it’s an honour to be picked from them.

“Coming off the back of a great season, I’ve also got a lot to thank my team-mates for to be honest, because I think they make me look better than I actually am.

“We’ve got a fantastic squad and players who get me the ball in good positions and strikers who can finish the crosses that I put in wherever I put them.

“I’ve got a great set of staff as well, people who are always pushing me, wanting me to get better so, I appreciate it and I know there’s so much more to come. I’m going to keep working hard for that to make sure that I continue on the right path.”

Analysis: Hemp continues to get better

Sky Sports’ Charlotte Marsh:

You will be hard pushed to find a more talented young player in the WSL than Lauren Hemp – or of any ages to be quite honest.

The Man City winger lights up any game that she plays in and she is still only 21 years old.

Hemp mostly plays down the left wing, often leaving defenders with far too much to handle alone – she completed the most take-ons (22) in the WSL last season.

Hemp continued to rank high in a number of other areas too. She was third for shots on target (30) – only behind Vivianne Miedema and Sam Kerr – and big chances scored. Her 10 goals and four assists saw her fourth in the list.

She has even drawn praise from Chelsea boss Emma Hayes, who has earmarked her as a star for the future. Winning the FWA Young Player of the Year award shows Hayes is not the only person in the game who sees Hemp’s potential.

She is already a senior international starter and fairly nailed on starter – in my humble opinion anyway – with a home Euros just weeks away. It marks an exciting prospect for England fans as Hemp only continues to get better.

Hodgson, Powell receive PFA merit award

The 2022 PFA merit award honoured two former England managers, with Roy Hodgson and Hope Powell picking up the trophy for their outstanding contributions to football.

Hodgson announced his retirement last month after more than 40 years in football management. When presented with the award, he said: “It is a real honour to receive this award, it is unexpected but that makes me all the more grateful. I never won any trophies as a player, unfortunately, so it is nice to be recognised by fellow professionals. It will have pride of place.

“When you have had a long career and you have had some success with it, you have to look back with great gratitude and humility. You realise there are so many steps along the way where things went right for you, and I have had that fortune that everybody needs. I have always tried to do the job with passion, I have had a certain enthusiasm and energy that I have always tried to bring to the job and those two qualities are very important to for anyone in football either player, manager or coach.

“I will look back with great gratitude and humility for what football has given me and it’s wonderful to get a trophy which proves that people believe I have given something back, I will treasure this trophy.”

Brighton manager Powell said: “It is a real honour to receive this trophy, I feel lucky and blessed to be in the game after many years, really grateful.

“One of the nice things about being involved in the game are the vast experiences I have had over the years, whether as a player or manager at FIFA World Cups, European finals or the Olympics and now at Brighton and Hove Albion. Each section has been very different but largely very enjoyable and I feel very lucky and privileged to be in this position.

“I have never been afraid to ask questions and challenge people, I think I have helped shaped the game and drive it forward along with lots of other people. So, I’m hoping I’ll be remembered as someone who was passionate and wanted the best for women’s football on a local and national level.”