Erling Haaland Reacts On Being Awarded FWA Footballer of the Year.

 Erling Haaland’s has been named as the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year for 2023 following his magnificent, record-breaking first season at Manchester City.

Haaland overwhelmingly topped the prestigious poll of more than 800 FWA Members, garnering more than 80 per cent of all the votes cast, in the wake of what has been a sensational maiden campaign at the Etihad stadium.

The Norwegian international also becomes only the fourth player to receive the FWA award in their first season playing in England, following Dias (2021), Gianfranco Zola (1997) and Jurgen Klinsmann (1995)

He follows in the illustrious footsteps of Club colleague Ruben Dias who won the coveted prize in 2021 and former City star Raheem Sterling who took the award in 2019.

Speaking gratefully after receiving the award, the 22-year-old was typically quick to highlight and praise the major role played by his team-mates along with manager Pep Guardiola and his coaching staff in helping him so seamlessly adapt to life at City while establishing a host of quite extraordinary goal-scoring records that have seen him constantly rewrite the history books.

“There were no doubts…I knew I was going to perform!”

“To win the Football Writers’ Award in my first season in English football is an honour,” Haaland said. “I try every single day to be the best I can be, and to be recognised like this means a lot to me.

“I have loved my time at City so far – my teammates are incredible, and they provide me with the chances to score goals. I want to thank all of them, because I could not have won this award without them.

“I also owe so much to Pep and the team behind the team here at City. Everybody has been so good to me since I joined and I have never worked with such top professionals.

“Thank you to everyone who voted for me. It’s a real honour to have won this award. I am now focused on ensuring I finish the season as strongly as possible and helping City win trophies.”

Erling Haaland receives the FWA Footballer of The Year Award. 🥇 pic.twitter.com/GptXpo0wZP

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 25, 2023

 Haaland who joined the Premier League champions from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth £51 million last summer, has scored a haul of 36 goals from 34 league appearances seeing him break the long-standing record of 34 previously held by Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole for most goals scored in a single Premier League campaign.

With 52 goals overall, Haaland has also broken the record for most strikes in one season in all competitions by a Premier League player, surpassing Mo Salah in 2017/18 and Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2002/03 who both claimed 44.

Man City have now now won a third successive Premier League title, and are set to win a historic treble this season.

They face neighbors Man United in an all-Manchester FA Cup final, and set to lock horns with Italian giants Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final on June 10.

Chelsea's Sam Kerr took the women's award, making the Australian the first player to win the trophy in consecutive seasons. 

The striker scored the winner in Chelsea's 1-0 FA Cup final triumph over Manchester United earlier this month.

Chelsea, who have a two-point lead over Manchester United, know victory at Reading on Saturday will seal the WSL title on the final day of the season.

Kerr said: "It's amazing. It's something that I'm very proud of. Off the back of the Euros women's football has grown a lot. Walking down the street, the crowds are bigger. Everything's just increased over the last year.

"I think to some people it might look easy but every year it gets harder and harder (to win the league). Anyone that's involved in football knows how hard it is to come back year after year and to stay at the top. So we're doing everything to win on Saturday."