May
2
English double at PFA awards
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It seems like England are firing on all cylinders when it comes to their World Cup preparations, and testament to their very strong squad this year are the recent PFA (Professional Footballer’s Association) Player of the Year awards. Wayne Rooney (Man United) and James Milner (Aston Villa) picked up Player of the Year and Young player of the Year respectively, something that will sure have Fabio Capello smiling. The last player to pick up the top prize for England was Steven Gerrard back in 2006, but fans will be hoping the team perform much better in this tournament than last time around.
The PFAs are awards that actually mean something, since they are not voted on by pundits or critics, but by the players themselves. And so to have Rooney recognized by his coworkers as better than Fabregas, Tevez and Drogba (the other finalists) should be a big boost for the Man United striker. He has not played the past few weeks due to a groin injury, but hopes to be back before the end of the season for United’s title race run in.
It’s funny that James Milner and Rooney are both 24, yet the former actually won for Young player of the Year. I suppose it’s more beneficial to spread the awards around, instead of allowing one player to hog all the glory. Milner is another very promising player that can help England’s midfield, though how or if he will be included in the starting line up for South Africa depends entirely on Capello.