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Luis Suarez: Liverpool striker wins PFA Player of the Year award

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments947

Pundits debate PFA team of the year

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has been named as the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year at an awards ceremony in London on Sunday.

The Uruguayan, 27, travelled down to the ceremony after the Reds' 2-0 defeat at home to Chelsea earlier in the day.

"The Premier League is full of really great players and so it is a great honour when these players recognise your work on the pitch," Suarez said.

Chelsea's Eden Hazard was voted Young Player of the Year.

Suarez's strike partner Daniel Sturridge, 24, and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard joined him in the Premier League Team of the Year, along with three Chelsea players - goalkeeper Petr Cech, defender Gary Cahill and midfielder Hazard.

The line-up was completed by Manchester City's Vincent Kompany and Yaya Toure, Southampton left-back Luke Shaw and midfielder Adam Lallana, plus Everton right-back Seamus Coleman.

Liverpool defender Lucy Bronze was named the Women's Players' Player of the Year while her team-mate Martha Harris was voted the Young Player of the Year.

The award capped a remarkable rehabilitation for Suarez who is the Premier League's top scorer this season with 30 goals, despite missing six games at the start of the season as part of a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic last April.

Suarez added: "I always try my best for the team and it is nice to get awards but really this is for my team-mates and the staff at Liverpool because without their help I wouldn't have this prize."

His name was booed when it was read out at last year's ceremony as he was beaten to the award by Tottenham's Gareth Bale, just days after his ban for biting started.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers stuck by him during his suspension but the Uruguayan's Anfield career appeared to be in doubt when in August he claimed that Liverpool had reneged on an agreement to let him leave if they failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Arsenal had two summer bids turned down for Suarez - the second an offer of £40m plus one pound, which was an attempt to trigger a clause the Gunners believed was in the player's contract.

Suarez returned to the team after his ban ended and scored 19 goals in 13 games to help fire the Merseyside club into contention for their first league title in 24 years.

He signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with Liverpool in December and admitted his close bond with Liverpool's fans was an important factor in his decision, particularly their backing during his biting ban.

Hazard, 23, who did not play against Liverpool on Sunday through injury, said of his individual prize: "It's always good to win awards because it means you've had a good season, but I prefer to win things collectively."

Premier League Team of the Year: Petr Cech (Chelsea), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Vincent Kompany (Man City), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Seamus Coleman (Everton), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Yaya Toure (Man City), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Luis Suarez (Liverpool), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool).

Championship Team of the Year: Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester), Kieran Trippier (Burnley), Aaron Cresswell (Ipswich), Wes Morgan (Leicester), Jason Shackell (Burnley), Danny Drinkwater (Leicester), Andy Reid, Craig Bryson (Derby), Will Hughes (Derby), Danny Ings (Burnley), Ross McCormack (Leeds).

League One Team of the Year: Carl Ikeme (Wolves), Sam Ricketts (Wolves), Danny Batth (Wolves), Harry Maguire (Sheffield United), Jake Bidwell (Brentford), Bakary Sako (Wolves), Adam Forshaw (Brentford), Kevin McDonald (Wolves), Ben Pringle (Rotherham), Britt Assombalonga (Peterborough), Callum Wilson (Coventry).

League Two Team of the Year: Tommy Lee (Chesterfield), Michael Smith (Bristol Rovers), Ian Evatt (Chesterfield), Liam Cooper (Chesterfield), Michael Rose (Rochdale), John-Joe O'Toole (Bristol Rovers), Antoni Sarcevic (Fleetwood), Gary Roberts (Chesterfield), Ian Henderson (Rochdale), Sam Winnall (Scunthorpe), Scott Hogan (Rochdale).

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947 comments

  • Comment posted by Tigersimon, at 08:43 28 Apr 2014

    ..@46. TheBear.."Suarez has done well but I wonder what message is sent out to kids here?"
    ...
    The message is quite clear - even if you have done some bad things, there is a way back if you knuckle down and concentrate on the right things. Otherwise there is no hope for anyone.

  • Comment posted by User0988748878, at 08:18 28 Apr 2014

    Suarez being named Player of the Year... fine, he deserves the award. He's been the best player in the country this season.

    As for Eden Hazard getting Young Player of the Year at 23... bull! In modern day football, 23 isn't young when you consider that players are making their 1st team debut at 15. (Jordan Ibe, Mason Bennett etc.)

    Young Player of the Year should be for age 21 and under!

  • Comment posted by Dr Heath, at 09:52 28 Apr 2014

    @178 Suarez is no saint, Gigsy got applauded by 70,000 fans on Saturday..ask his brother about his dignity as a person.

  • Comment posted by whatsthemata, at 08:32 28 Apr 2014

    Taking nothing away from Eden for winning Young Player. He has been outstanding this season. But I'm not sure this prize is going to the correct category of player. I feel it should be given to a younger player who has had a great season, maybe someone like Sterling, Shaw or Barkley. As opposed to a 23 year old, which in the footballing world for many is the peak of their career.

  • Comment posted by Nighthawk1873, at 08:26 28 Apr 2014

    Reall nice of young Kalas to let Suarez out of his back pocket so he could go and collect his award.

  • Comment posted by User0229956752, at 08:24 28 Apr 2014

    Why do keepers who have little to do get voted the best? Marshall, Speroni, Howard and Lloris have all been busier and I'd argue won more points for their team than Cech who has an outstanding team of defenders in front of him.

  • Comment posted by BaggiosPonytail, at 10:31 28 Apr 2014

    @253 Guernsey Red

    I think Rodgers showed his naivety yesterday. Liverpool didn't need to win. They just couldn't lose. Chelsea were not going to force the issue, they were going to keep it tight and hope for a mistake. Which duly came. Playing attacking football might be the right way to approach matches most of the time but you have to have a plan B. At the moment Liverpool don't.

  • Comment posted by Killingholme_Clay , at 08:01 28 Apr 2014

    Luis Suarez has been the best football player in the EPL by a very long way.The PFA vote was for footballing consideration only. Not whether he's a nice bloke or not. If that was the case Ryan Giggs would never have won if his private life was included.

  • Comment posted by Messibhoy, at 10:25 28 Apr 2014

    A good way to reduce time wasting/feigning injuries would be to adopt the system from the 94 World cup. Immediately a player goes down a mobile buggy comes on and he is removed. Get off the buggy its a yellow card. Kept pitchside for 2 minutes medical assessment. Simple and takes the onus off the ref.

  • Comment posted by CFC2012, at 08:06 28 Apr 2014

    I am biased but am personally not quite sure why Terry didn't get in ahead of Kompany. The latter has spent a considerable amount of time out injured and the former has marshalled the best defence in the league.

    Congratulations to both players as well - both fully deserved

  • Comment posted by Fracking Hell, at 11:52 28 Apr 2014

    Bendtner must have been close

  • Comment posted by User0331344479, at 11:44 28 Apr 2014

    Off topic...but Brendan Rodgers is clearly having a Keegan-esque meltdown, with comments after the Chelsea game like "We were the team trying to win" - ahem, the other team won Brenda dear.

  • Comment posted by BlueIsTheColour, at 14:55 28 Apr 2014

    To the tune of 'I am the music man'....

    "My name is Demba Ba and I come from Africa' and I can play"

    "What can you play?"

    "I play football"

    Demba Demba Demba Ba, Demba Ba Demba Ba Demba Demba Demba Ba...

    Our third choice striker destroyed LFC..ho ho ho

  • Comment posted by Guernsey Red, at 09:29 28 Apr 2014

    Don't think there can be much complaint about Suarez winning. Take the point RE him not scoring against top 4 but it's not the most 'valuable' player. Evra voting for him was very professional.

    Agree that Hazard winning young player ahead of Shaw, Sterling, Januzaj etc is bonkers 23 isn't young these days.

    Also agree Terry should be in ahead of Kompany who's had a poor season by his standards.

  • Comment posted by Cailbrin, at 14:51 28 Apr 2014

    His undoubted talent does not make up for his appalling antics on the pitch.

    What kind of example does this set for young players ?

    It shows that diving and thuggery can all be excused if you score goals, and generate money for your Club.

    Football is a moral sewer, bloated on money and hype.

    The lad is a great player, but the darker side to his game makes him unworthy of such an accolade.

  • Comment posted by You Want Some, at 13:46 28 Apr 2014

    680.ratemedown

    Somethings aren't adding up. A junior broker isn't paid £80k per year.

    You bought your massive £300k flat in Kensington in 2004, yet you're still a junior?!

    You support Liverpool, yet you claim to have a job.

    I'm calling your bluff!

  • Comment posted by SeeDubya, at 08:34 28 Apr 2014

    50. Walk the Warwick Road
    I'm sure the whole of Goodison Park will be behind Man City next weekend.

    A bitter minority of the fans might be but Martinez and his players will be more concerned with qualifying for the CL.
    Chelsea have little to celebrate today. They saw their players resort to time wasting and faking injuries from the first minute, Big Sam tactics Mourinho described as cheating.

  • Comment posted by explorer, at 13:56 28 Apr 2014

    I have this picture of ratemedown opening his bathroom cabinet and a depression medication avalanche falling on his head.

  • Comment posted by User0477303112, at 14:16 28 Apr 2014

    Well, as much as I like conversing with some of you it's now time to leave my spacious palatial barn conversion cottage in fashionable Birkenhead [£576,899] jump into my Bugatti Veyron Supersport [£1.35m] and go for dinner with my Fiancee [£30 p/h]

    --

    752.
    Lance
    Liverpool beat your lot 5-1 in Feb, and Suarez didn't even score.
    --
    Hardly surprising, they're in the top 4

  • Comment posted by legoboy, at 13:20 28 Apr 2014

    I've got two hotels on Mayfair.

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