Winning the Premier League Player of the Season award is the ultimate individual recognition in English football. It reflects consistency, influence, and moments of brilliance across an entire campaign.
The Players Who Shone Without the Trophy
1996–97 – Juninho Paulista (Middlesbrough)
A fan favourite and one of the most exciting players of the 90s, Juninho dazzled with skill, creativity and flair. Despite his brilliance, Middlesbrough were relegated, making this one of the most unique Player of the Season campaigns ever.
Champions: Manchester United
1997–98 – Michael Owen (Liverpool)
A teenage sensation, Owen burst onto the scene with pace and clinical finishing. His breakout season established him as one of Europe’s brightest talents.
Champions: Arsenal
1999–00 – Kevin Phillips (Sunderland)
Phillips enjoyed a remarkable season, winning the European Golden Shoe with 30 league goals. His partnership with Niall Quinn fired Sunderland to an incredible finish.
Champions: Manchester United
2000–01 – Patrick Vieira (Arsenal)
The engine of Arsenal’s midfield, Vieira combined power, leadership and technical ability. Despite his dominance, Manchester United edged the title race.
Champions: Manchester United
2005–06 – Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
At his peak, Henry was unstoppable. Goals, assists, and moments of magic defined his season, even as Chelsea’s consistency secured them the title.
Champions: Chelsea
2009–10 – Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
Rooney stepped up as United’s main man, delivering goals and leadership throughout the campaign. His performances kept United competitive, but Chelsea proved too strong.
Champions: Chelsea
2012–13 – Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
A season of individual brilliance. Bale scored spectacular goals week after week, often carrying Tottenham single handedly. Yet the title belonged to Manchester United.
Champions: Manchester United
2013–14 – Luis Suárez (Liverpool)
One of the greatest individual seasons in Premier League history. Suárez scored 31 goals and led Liverpool’s title charge, only for it to slip away late in the campaign.
Champions: Manchester City
2017–18 – Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
A record breaking debut season. Salah’s 32 goals set a new benchmark for a 38 game Premier League season, but Manchester City’s dominance left no room for challengers.
Champions: Manchester City
2018–19 – Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
A defensive masterclass across the season. Van Dijk transformed Liverpool’s back line and was instrumental in their near perfect campaign, finishing just one point behind City.
Champions: Manchester City
2019–20 – Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
De Bruyne equalled the assist record and controlled games with unmatched vision and creativity. Yet Liverpool’s relentless form saw them run away with the title.
Champions: Liverpool
Individual Greatness vs Team Success
This list is a reminder that football’s biggest individual prize does not always align with team success.
From Juninho’s flair to Suárez’s goal scoring heroics and De Bruyne’s playmaking genius, each of these players delivered seasons worthy of the highest recognition.
In many ways, it makes their achievements even more impressive.
They stood above everyone else in the league… even without the winner’s medal.