Premier League Player of the Season 2023/24: List of nominees, past winners as Foden sees off Rice, Haaland and Palmer

Joe Wright

Premier League Player of the Season 2023/24: List of nominees, past winners as Foden sees off Rice, Haaland and Palmer image

The nominees for the Premier League Player of the Season award for 2023/24 were announced on Thursday, May 9.

Although the season does not conclude until May 19, fans were invited to start voting for their favourites to be crowned as the best player in England's top division over the past 10 months.

Erling Haaland, who won the prize last year, was again named on the shortlist along with seven other stars of this season's competition. Manchester City and Arsenal had two players nominated each, while there were also candidates from Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Aston Villa.

Haaland's team-mate Phil Foden emerged from the pack to win the approval of a public vote on the Premier League website and a panel of football experts. Foden adds the Premier League prize to the FWA Men's Footballer of the Year award he won earlier this month.

The England attacking midfielder has enjoyed the finest season of his career, frequently stepping forward to be City's difference-maker as Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne endured spells on the sidelines. Heading into the final weekend clash against West Ham, where victory would secure a record fourth consecutive Premier League title for City, the 23-year-old has scored 17 goals and supplied eight assists in 34 league appearances this term.

The Sporting News has also looked back at the past winners of the prize, stretching back to the mid-1990s, when the Premier League was still in its infancy.

MORE: Erling Haaland on course to win second consecutive Premier League Golden Boot

Premier League Player of the Season 2023/24: List of nominees

Seven other players were named on the shortlist for the Player of the Season award for 2023/24 but could not make a stronger case than Foden.

Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

Although not quite at the levels of last season, when he smashed the record for goals in a single Premier League season, Haaland still leads the Golden Boot standings and sets the standard for strikers across Europe.

Alexander Isak (Newcastle United)

Newcastle have been far less consistent than they were in 2022/23, but Isak has been outstanding. He became the first Magpies player in 21 years to score 20 goals in a single Premier League season.

Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)

Arsenal's captain has been key to their sustained title challenge this season. Odegaard may have recorded fewer goals and assists than last season (when he had 22 combined), but his all-round play has helped the Gunners keep up their impressive form.

Cole Palmer (Chelsea)

Eyebrows were raised when Chelsea signed Palmer from Man City for an initial £40 million ($52.4m) last summer, but the England star looks like being the best bit of business of the past year. He's just the third player aged 21 or younger to record 30+ goal involvements in a single Premier League season, after Robbie Fowler and Chris Sutton.

MORE: Will Cole Palmer make the England squad for Euro 2024?

Declan Rice (Arsenal)

Arsenal paid an astonishing £105 million ($138m) to sign Rice from West Ham, but his imperious performances in midfield have made a real difference to the Gunners' title hopes.

Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Liverpool's title hopes may have faded, but Van Dijk has had something of a renaissance this season, looking at least somewhat close to his indomitable best in Jurgen Klopp's final season in charge.

Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)

The spearhead of Aston Villa's amazing challenge for a UEFA Champions League spot, Watkins is still in the running to finish the season as the top goalscorer and assist-provider in the league.

Past winners of Premier League Player of the Season award

The award has run since the 1994/95 season and has seen 25 different winners in that time.

Only four players have won the award more than once: Kevin De BruyneThierry HenryCristiano Ronaldo, and Nemanja Vidic have all been named player of the season twice. Foden's success means a City player has won the award for each of the past five seasons.

All-time Premier League Player of the Season award winners

SeasonPlayerTeam
1994/95Alan ShearerBlackburn Rovers
1995/96Peter SchmeichelManchester United
1996/97JuninhoMiddlesbrough
1997/98Michael OwenLiverpool
1998/99Dwight YorkeManchester United
1999/2000Kevin PhillipsSunderland
2000/01Patrick VieiraArsenal
2001/02Freddie LjungbergArsenal
2002/03Ruud van NistelrooyManchester United
2003/04Thierry HenryArsenal
2004/05Frank LampardChelsea
2005/06Thierry HenryArsenal
2006/07Cristiano RonaldoManchester United
2007/08Cristiano RonaldoManchester United
2008/09Nemanja VidicManchester United
2009/10Wayne RooneyManchester United
2010/11Nemanja VidicManchester United
2011/12Vincent KompanyManchester City
2012/13Gareth BaleTottenham
2013/14Luis SuarezLiverpool
2014/15Eden HazardChelsea
2015/16Jamie VardyLeicester City
2016/17N'Golo KanteChelsea
2017/18Mohamed SalahLiverpool
2018/19Virgil van DijkLiverpool
2019/20Kevin De BruyneManchester City
2020/21Ruben DiasManchester City
2021/22Kevin De BruyneManchester City
2022/23Erling HaalandManchester City
2023/24Phil FodenManchester City

Joe Wright

Joe Wright Photo

Joe is a Senior Editor at Sporting News. He was previously a sub editor and writer for Goal.com before spending six years as part of the Stats Perform editorial news service, covering major global sports including football, tennis, boxing, NBA, rugby union and athletics. Joe has reported live on some of the biggest games in football, including two UEFA Champions League finals, Euro 2016, the Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 World Cup final at the end of a month in Russia.