AS A PROUD and fully paid-up member of the Football Writers’ Association I voted for my men’s and women’s Footballer of the Year this week. 

Surveying a list of previous winners is to showcase the greatest footballers who have played the game in this country since the Second World War. 

The first Footballer of the Year award went to Sir Stanley Matthews at the end of the 1947-48 season after the FWA was founded on board a ship returning from an England fixture in Belgium. 

Frank Coles, Roy Peskett, Archie Quick and Charles Buchan were the founding writers, and the minutes note that it was Buchan, the Plumstead-born former England forward turned journalist, who suggested an award “to the professional player who, by precept and example, is considered by a ballot of members to be the footballer of the year.”

Since that auspicious beginning, the award has provided a respected platform to honour a prestigious litany of greats.

First in sepia, memorialising the feats of post-war heroes including footballers the calibre of Joe Mercer (1949-50 winner), Billy Wright (1951-52), Nat Lofthouse (1952-53), Tom Finney (1953-54 and 1956-57) and Danny Blanchflower (1957-58) to name but a few. 

The award has also recognised leaders of great teams, such as Syd Owen, the captain of the Luton Town side that reached the 1959 FA Cup Final for the first time in the Hatters history, eventually losing 2-1 to Nottingham Forest. Not to mention celebrating the Glory Game of the immortal Blanchflower again (1960-61) this time as the leader of Spurs 1961 double-winning side. Or recognising the incomparable Bobby Moore (1963-64) who skippered West Ham to the 1964 FA Cup. Take your pick for 1966 (Bobby Charlton, 1965-66) - with brother Jack landing the award 12 months later (1966-67).

While the genius that was George Best picked up the accolade the following season (1967-68) after arguably the finest season of his career after scoring two goals in the 1968 European Cup final during the 4-1 victory in extra time over Benfica at Wembley Stadium. 

Quite simply the FWA award is an invocation of excellence, a hallowed list of towering heroes. 

Whether it be recognising the teak tough Scottish leaders in Billy Bremner (1969-70) and Frank McLintock (1970-71) or the flair and finesse of Kenny Dalglish (1978-79), or Welsh pride in Ian Rush (1983-84) and Neville Southall (1984-85), the FWA honour is a reliable freeze frame of a campaign. 

From the goalscoring threat of Gary Lineker (1984-85 and 1991-92) to the sublime talent of John Barnes (1987-88 and 1989-90) to the recognition that the Premier League was growing into a global jamboree from the early 1990s onwards, the FWA award highlights the best our game can offer. 

How wonderful it was to savour the arrival of such luminaries as Eric Cantona (1995-96), Gianfranco Zola (1996-97), the incomparable Dennis Bergkamp (1997-98) and Thierry Henry (2002-03, 2003-04 and 2005-06) not to mention Cristiano Ronaldo (2006-07 and 2007-08).

My point is that the FWA is where the great men – and recently - the great women live. 

Incidentally, it was of no little pride to me that I voted for Leah Williamson last year, because, while votes normally have to be cast by May, I was completely and utterly convinced Arsenal’s captain, leader and legend would lead the Lionesses to glory to mark the climax of the 2021-22 season and seal a never-to-be-forgotten spell in England colours, if not in the Gunners red and white. 

I don’t normally take such gambles when voting, which is why, with Sarina Wiegman’s stricken Lionesses side having to cope with long-term injuries to the unfortunate Williamson, not to mention Beth Mead and now Fran Kirkby ruled out, I won’t be picking an English player this season.

As an aside, I covered the game at Leigh last month on the sad night when the Gunners captain was forced off with an ACL that ruined her chances of leading the side to glory in Australia and the respect Williamson was shown by both sets of players and fans underlined just what a colossus the 26-year-old defender really is. 

Which is why I voted for Khadija Shaw this week as my FWA’s Women’s Footballer of the Year. 

Having reported on the marauding Manchester City attacker, the 26-year-old Jamaican international is even more fearsome in the flesh. The statistics prove it too. 

At the time of writing Shaw has 18 WSL goals in 19 games, with six assists. 

Of course, kudos must go to Rachel Daly (17 and three) along with other consistently excellent footballers in the Manchester United pair of Leah Galton and Alessia Russo, not to mention Arsenal’s Frida Maanum and Stina Blackstenius, but for me, Shaw wins it hands down this season. 

Which leads me to my men’s choice. 

In previous seasons I have voted for eventual winners Mo Salah (2017-18), Raheem Sterling (2018-19), Jordan Henderson during the lockdown season of 2019-20 – which was as much for ‘precept’ as it was for his excellent performances for Jurgen Klopp’s Reds as they finally brought the Premier League title back to Merseyside after a gap of three decades, with Henderson’s sensitive marshalling of topflight footballers’ response to the dreadful pandemic. 

I also voted for eventual winner Ruben Dias in 2020-21 and Salah again last season. 

I don’t think it will be a surprise to learn that my record of voting for the eventual winner continues.

It will be a City double from me. Yes, you’ve guessed it.

My FWA Footballer of the Year is Erling Haaland. 

How could it not. As much as I have unashamed Arsenal tendencies, in the press box you have to be neutral and Haaland is my undisputed victor.  

This season has been up there with one of the most enjoyable campaigns I’ve had as a journalist. Not least because I’ve been fortunate to chart the emergence of Mikel Arteta’s young, hungry team, notably Gabi Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. In fact, until last week, I must confess my vote was still split between the 21-year-old Arsenal academy graduate and Haaland. 

That was until I covered City’s 4-1 mauling of Arsenal at the Etihad last week. 

As much as I would one day love to vote for an Arsenal player as the FWA Footballer of the Year – and up until last Wednesday’s terrible beauty unleashed by Pep Guardiola’s imperious City side, it was neck and neck - I have to always be faithful to the award.  

I really wanted to vote for Saka. I absolutely love him as a player and as person, since I covered his rise from an academy youngster, which included a miserable 6-2 defeat at Whaddon Road to Cheltenham Town in the Checkatrade Trophy - to him hitting 14 goals so far during a stellar season for the Gunners, including 13 in the league. 

It is also worth noting that his excellent performances this season came via witnessing his display of such character when missing ‘that’ penalty for England in the final of Euro 2020 to latterly at West Ham during that debilitating 2-2 draw last month. The fact is Saka plays joyous football with a smile on his face – but don’t mistake ‘niceness’ for weakness, for the talented young gun has undoubted steel to match his style. 

And yet. To witness the Herculean Haaland is to witness greatness. Such power, such strength, such dangerous movement on and off the ball, such a predator’s menace in and around the box, which, allied with a fearsome will to win and a surprising humbleness and modesty off the pitch, would make the amazing attacker a favourite in any season. 

Then throw in his astounding goalscoring feats – smashing Andy Cole and Alan Shearer’s (FWA winner in 1994-95) – 34 goal record during the 3-0 victory over West Ham on Wednesday evening, to make it an incredible 51 goals in all competitions in total – and counting – for the season so far. 

In this week of local elections, it would be churlish to put my X in any other candidate’s box. And until we have proportional representation, I can only vote once.

So, 35 league goals in only 31 games - so far - 12 in eight in the Champions League – so far - as City chase down a first European Cup, not to mention three in three – so far – as Guardiola’s side aim for City primacy against United at Wembley next month in the FA Cup final – along with eight assists in total, makes it impossible to opt for Saka, alas. 

Which is why the incredible Erling Haaland has my vote for the FWA's men's Footballer of the Year for 2022-23.