OUR team of regular match reporters and football writers picked their men's footballer of the year for the 2023/24 season in English football.

Harry De Cosemo

My vote goes to Phil Foden. For many years, there have been questions over whether he could step out of the shadow of Kevin de Bruyne at Manchester City, and when forced to this season due to the Belgian’s injury, he has delivered on a huge scale. Pep Guardiola has bided his time with the 23-year-old, but he has also held his nerve too, exploding into form at the right moment. His big game mentality and ability to deal with pressure situations is a huge reason why City are on the brink of a historic fourth successive Premier League title. Gareth Southgate shouldn’t fit him into his England side at Euro 2024, he should build it around him. It would be the perfect end to a phenomenal season if he led his country to glory in Germany.

Layth Yousif

My choice would be Martin Odegaard. For the way he takes balls on the half-turn as a fulcrum of Arsenal’s mesmerising creativity, as much as his Stakhanovite levels of hard work defensively, as a key component of Arteta’s pressing game when the Gunners are out of possession. That and the fact he takes a great photograph. 

Gene Sylvester

In the summer, Cole Palmer pushed for a move to Chelsea in search of regular first-team football and boy did it pay off for him. While his new club have been anything but consistent this term, Palmer has been a shining light, registering 21 Premier League goals, leaving him second only to Erling Haaland in the goalscoring charts. The former Man City youngster is also joint second for assists, but above those two statistics is the 22-year-old’s fearless ability to shoulder the responsibility of being Chelsea’s biggest attacking threat. This is why Palmer gets my vote for Player of the Season.

Paul Donovan

The player of the season has to be Jarrod Bowen at West Ham, who just gets better and better. He has scored 20 goals in all competitions, 16 in the Premier League. His game has gone from strength to strength this season. Also, Bowen has proved his versatility, playing as a central striker and on both wings. Very much a David Moyes player, West Ham fans will hope he is happy to stay at the club under the new manager. Bowen has certainly come a long way under Moyes since joining West Ham in January 2020. He now commands a £100 million-plus price tag and has many admirers. A good European Championships will further inflate that price.

James Nalton

Ollie Watkins has caught the eye for an impressive Aston Villa side this season. Both player and team have been standout performers domestically, and on the continent where they were the longest active English side in European competition. Unai Emery has overseen a memorable season in which Villa eventually qualified for the Champions League. Watkins has played a key part in this, and while his goalscoring has been lauded, it has gone under the radar that he also leads the league for assists. All this combined with the complete centre-forward play, scoring and creating thanks to a wide range of attacking attributes, got him my vote for men’s Footballer of the Year.

Bella Katz

Erling Haaland is a once-in-a-lifetime player. His phenomenal debut season in the Premier League with Manchester City last year has set an exceptionally high bar, yet he continues to impress in this campaign. The striker has netted 27 goals and has provided five assists, playing a pivotal role in almost securing the Premier League title for City for what would be a fourth consecutive year. The Norwegian’s impact on the pitch extends beyond his statistics — his physical prowess and relentless drive makes him a constant threat to any defence. With a five-goal lead over Palmer heading into this weekend, he is also on track to secure another Golden Boot. At just 23 years old, Haaland’s extraordinary talent is only expected to grow.