Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard has been named the Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Player of the Year for the 2014-15 season.
The Belgian, 24, figured prominently for Premier League champions elect Chelsea with 19 goals to his credit in the campaign.
The FWA Award, since 1948, is presented to the professional footballer who in line with principle and performance is deemed to have played a pivotal role by English football journalists.
FWA Chairman, Andy Dunn, of the Sunday Mirror, told the association’s website: “(Hazard is) A creator, a goalscorer and the hardest of workers, Hazard has been a constant source of threat for the Barclays Premier League champions.
“But it is not just his trickery, his pace, his artistry and his marksmanship that make Hazard such an invaluable component of Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea squad, it is his durability.”
Hazard was also named Professional Footballers’ Association Players’ Player of the Year just over a fortnight ago at an award ceremony in London.
The ÂŁ32million signing from LOSC Lille in 2012 received 53% of the votes to beat Tottenham Hotspur forward and 2015 PFA Young Player of the Year Harry Kane, and Chelsea defender John Terry.
As well as Hazard and Terry, Cesc Fabregas, Branislav Ivanovic and Thibaut Caurtois, are three other Chelsea players who featured in the top 10 poll this year, including Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea, forward Sergio Aguero of Manchester City, Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez and Leicester’s Esteban Cambiasso.
He is the first Belgian to win the award, which he will collect at a gala dinner to be held at the Landmark London Hotel on May 21.
“He is a brilliant successor to Luis Suarez and we just hope he stays in the Premier League for a lot longer than Luis did after collecting the trophy,” Dunn concluded.
