Ronaldo tops PFA poll in England

Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has been voted as England’s Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Player of the Year for the second straight year.

The 23-year-old Portuguese star, who has scored 38 goals in all competitions this season, beat Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Adebayor and David James in the annual poll.

Arsenal midfielder Fabregas was named Young Player of the Year.

Although he did not attend the PFA’s awards ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House hotel late Sunday, Ronaldo was shown on screen accepting the trophy from his club boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ronaldo and United are currently preparing for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Barcelona on Tuesday night with the sides level at 0-0.

“I feel very happy. When you work all season to play good, to do something for the team, to do your contribution for the team and then at the end of the season the PFA give you this award, it is a great moment, it is an honour, a pleasure,” he said.

“It is a great motivation to carry on like that, to work more and get better.

“I feel very good but it is not just my award, my team-mates have helped me a lot this season.

“They give me good passes to score goals, and I score, but it is a good moment for me.”

In the voting for the young player award Spanish international Fabregas finishing ahead of Ronaldo.

Torres, Micah Richards, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young had been the other nominees.

“I’m very proud. It’s a very prestigious trophy,” said Fabregas.

“Football is a collective game and you prefer to win trophies with team-mates but it’s always nice to have this type of award.”

Surprisingly there were no Chelsea players short-listed for the top awards, while big rivals on both the domestic and European fronts, Manchester United had three players involved – Ronaldo, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.

Fabregas, Adebayor, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy all featured for Arsenal. Liverpool duo Gerrard and Torres were included, as was Portsmouth and England goalkeeper James and Aston Villa midfielder Young.

Former England and Blackpool full-back Jimmy Armfield, 72, still involved in the game as a broadcaster, received the Merit award for his services to the game.