The PFA Awards: John Terry and Wayne Rooney are crowned Players' Player and Young Player of the Year!
By Dave Smith 24-April-05
On the biggest night of the footballing calendar, the PFA is delighted to announce that Chelsea skipper John Terry and Manchester United sensation Wayne Rooney have been named Players' Player and Young Player of the Year.
At the organisation's 32nd star-studded awards' dinner at London's Grosvenor House Hotel the two England international teammates were honoured by their fellow professionals, the greatest individual accolade a player can receive.
In the Players' Player category, John Terry faced immense competition from the likes of Chelsea pals Frank Lampard and Petr Cech, as well as 2003 and 2004 winner Thierry Henry, Crystal Palace goal ace Andy Johnson and Liverpool's Steven Gerrard.
Wayne Rooney was also in distinguished company in the Young Player of the Year section where he successfully headed off the challenge of club colleague Cristiano Ronaldo, along with Jermain Defoe, Stewart Downing, Arjen Robben and Shaun Wright-Phillips.
PFA Chief Executive Gordon Taylor says of the newly-crowned Player of the Year: "John has not only been recognised by his fellow professionals, but by the whole country and critics alike and I am delighted that he has done so well after experiencing a few problems early on in his career.
"He has learned from his mistakes, as all young players who transgress have the right to do, and I find him an absolutely first class professional. He is a genuine lad who deserves the success he and Chelsea are enjoying at the moment."
The Chief Executive has been equally impressed with the way Young Player of the Year Wayne Rooney has handled the pressure of being a £30million teenager - and all the expectations that went with it.
Wayne has not been fazed by anything this season has thrown up and Gordon taylor says: "There have been so many superlatives bandied about that you can't help but worry that we're 'over-egging the pudding' when we come to discussing the mercurial talents of Wayne Rooney.
"Often, when a young player makes such a dramatic impact, as Wayne has, there's a danger of him going backwards for a time. But that just doesn't seem to happen with Wayne. For a player of his age, he is so strong and the way he brushes defenders off as if they aren't there is like a comic-book character.
"He has no fear and there's no end to what he can achieve - he's got everything required to take over the mantle of Eric Cantona."
The PFA Merit Award winner is Portsmouth keeper Shaka Hislop who deserves full credit for his contribution towards the anti-racism campaigns.
