The Premier League has been known as the most competitive league in the world. It is because we have seen some incredible players in the history of the league, but who has got the most Premier League Player of the Year awards?
Who has the most Premier League Player of the year awards? There are four players tied with two Premier League Player of the year awards. The four players are Kevin De Bruyne, Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Nemanja Vidic.
There has been a Premier League Player of the Season every year since the 1994-95 season when Alan Shearer won the award after a brilliant scoring season. Since then there have been four men who have won the award four times, with no player winning the award three times.
Thierry Henry was the first player to win the Premier League player of the year award twice. He won the first in the 2003-04 season when Arsenal went invincible before winning his seasons two seasons later in 2005-06.
Kevin De Bruyne is the most recent player to have added his name to the list of most Premier League player of the Year awards. De Bruyne won his first Premier League Player of the year in the Covid hit 2019-20 season and is the current holder of the award, having won his second last season, 2021-22, after taking Manchester City to their second Premier League title in a row. Chances are he will win another this season to claim top spot outright.
Thierry Henry Premier League POTY seasons
2003-04
Arsenal in the 2000s were a much different team to the 2010s and the team as a whole was brilliant in the 2003-04 season. Arsenal went invincible in the league, something that has never been done before in the Premier League and it is something we have not seen since. Henry was instrumental in this.
In all competitions Henry scored 39 goals, winning the Europeans golden boot. He was silky with the ball and Arsenal’s excellent attack was a key reason for the team going undefeated.
2005-06
After a down season, the 2005-06 season was one of the best of his career. He broke numerous records and finished the season as the league’s top scorer. Not only did Henry finish the season in the FIFA World XI, but he won the Player of the Year award for the second time and it was really Henry at his best.
It was his last season at the top level with Arsenal and one of the most exciting players we have ever seen.
Cristiano Ronaldo Premier League POTY seasons
2006-07
After a lot of controversy at the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo returned to Manchester United after a summer where he also asked for a transfer. But it turned into his breakout season as Ronaldo scored more than 20 goals in the league for the first time and Manchester United won the Premier League title.
It was Ronaldo’s first Premier League title and his first season where he was truly a superstar, winning various awards and eventually finishing second to Kaka in the race for the 2007 Ballon d’Or.
2007-08
Ronaldo is the only player on this list to have won the award two seasons in a row. He continued his excellent form from last season and had his most prolific campaign in England. In total, Ronaldo scored 42 goals in all competitions and still won his second Premier League player of the year title despite missing three games at the start of the year for headbutting a Portsmouth player.
Nemanja Vidic Premier League POTY seasons
2008-09
While Manchester United’s star-studded attack got a lot of attention at the time, Nemanja Vidic was at the core of a phenomenal defence that could easily lock down opposing attackers. He was Premier League Player of the Month in January 2009 and was crucial in United winning their third title in a row.
2010-11
After a summer filled with transfer speculations, Vidic signed a new four-year contract and became the team’s captain. Not only did he once again be a rock in defence, but Vidic scored a crucial goal against title rivals Chelsea which helped propel United to their 19th Premier League title.
He played in 35 games in the league, the most of his time in Manchester. Vidic added four goals and two assists, along with captaining the league’s third-best defence.
Kevin De Bruyne Premier League POTY seasons
2019-20
Kevin De Bruyne had been excellent from his first season with Manchester City, but he really excelled in the 2019-20 season as he did not suffer from injuries like the previous year. The Belgian contributed with some important goals including winning Premier League Goal of the Month for November.
But his playmaking was impressive, finishing the season with 13 goals and 20 assists, equalling Thierry Henry’s record for most assists in a Premier League season. It was his first Premier League Player of the Season award, despite City not winning the title.
2021-22
KDB had a brilliant 2021-22 season and it was his best scoring season, finishing with 15 goals in the league alongside 8 assists for a phenomenal campaign. De Bruyne continued to pull the strings for the Premier League’s best team and he got the recognition for it.
De Bruyne won his second Premier League player of the season title and he is the most likely man to break the record and win his third Premier League player of the season award.
What is the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award?
While the Premier League awards a player of the season award, the players union themselves also have an award. Towards the end of every season, the players are given a shortlist of exceptional players and are asked to vote for the Player of the year.
It is seen as an extremely prestigious award because it is voted on by fellow players. Players see the award as the most important out of the Player of the season awards because other players see your performances. Mohamed Salah is the current holder of the award after an exceptional 2021-22 season.
List of all Premier League Player of the season winners
| Season | Winner | Position | Nationality | Team |
| 1994–95 | Alan Shearer | Forward | England | Blackburn Rovers |
| 1995–96 | Peter Schmeichel | Goalkeeper | Denmark | Manchester United |
| 1996–97 | Juninho | Midfielder | Brazil | Middlesbrough |
| 1997–98 | Michael Owen | Forward | England | Liverpool |
| 1998–99 | Dwight Yorke | Forward | Trinidad and Tobago | Manchester United |
| 1999–00 | Kevin Phillips | Forward | England | Sunderland |
| 2000–01 | Patrick Vieira | Midfielder | France | Arsenal |
| 2001–02 | Freddie Ljungberg | Midfielder | Sweden | Arsenal |
| 2002–03 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | Forward | Netherlands | Manchester United |
| 2003–04 | Thierry Henry | Forward | France | Arsenal |
| 2004–05 | Frank Lampard | Midfielder | England | Chelsea |
| 2005–06 | Thierry Henry | Forward | France | Arsenal |
| 2006–07 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Forward | Portugal | Manchester United |
| 2007–08 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Forward | Portugal | Manchester United |
| 2008–09 | Nemanja Vidić | Defender | Serbia | Manchester United |
| 2009–10 | Wayne Rooney | Forward | England | Manchester United |
| 2010–11 | Nemanja Vidić | Defender | Serbia | Manchester United |
| 2011–12 | Vincent Kompany | Defender | Belgium | Manchester City |
| 2012–13 | Gareth Bale | Midfielder | Wales | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 2013–14 | Luis Suárez | Forward | Uruguay | Liverpool |
| 2014–15 | Eden Hazard | Midfielder | Belgium | Chelsea |
| 2015–16 | Jamie Vardy | Forward | England | Leicester City |
| 2016–17 | N’Golo Kanté | Midfielder | France | Chelsea |
| 2017–18 | Mohamed Salah | Forward | Egypt | Liverpool |
| 2018–19 | Virgil van Dijk | Defender | Netherlands | Liverpool |
| 2019–20 | Kevin De Bruyne | Midfielder | Belgium | Manchester City |
| 2020–21 | Rúben Dias | Defender | Portugal | Manchester City |
| 2021–22 | Kevin De Bruyne | Midfielder | Belgium | Manchester City |