Drogba and Rooney up for PFA prize

Chelsea’s Didier Drogba and Manchester United hero Wayne Rooney were among three forwards included in four nominations for Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) player of the year award on Thursday.

Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez is the third striker in a list that also includes Arsenal midfelder Cesc Fabregas.

Ivory Coast international Drogba has scored 32 goals in all competitions this season, playing a key role in putting Premier League leaders and FA Cup finalists Chelsea in sight of a domestic double.

Rooney has won rave reviews for his performances in leading champions United’s attack with 34 goals in a season which may end with the Old Trafford club, currently four points behind Chelsea with four games to play, winning ‘just’ the English League Cup.

If the 24-year-old Rooney does win the PFA award, which is decided by a vote open to professional players in England, it will be the fourth successive time it has gone to a member of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side following Ryan Giggs’s success last year and Cristiano Ronaldo’s double in 2007 and 2008.

Arsenal captain Fabregas, 22, has, like Rooney, also been selected for the young player of the year award.

Up until his season-ending broken leg, suffered against Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals last month, the Spaniard had done much to sustain an Arsenal push for the Premier League title which finally appeared to come to a halt with Wednesday’s north London derby loss to Tottenham Hotspur.

Tevez meanwhile has proved a success at City following his controversial pre-season move across Manchester from United, scoring 28 goals in a season where the Eastlands club are now in contention for a Champions League place.