Striker Bukayo Saka edged out teammate Jude Bellingham to be named England Footballer of the Year for the second consecutive year, the Football Association (FA) said on Tuesday.
The 22-year-old Arsenal winger was voted by fans as the Best English Player of the 2022/23 season, ahead of midfielder Jude Bellingham and striker Harry Kane – who came second and third respectively.
Saka debuted for England in October 2020 and has scored 7 goals in 10 matches in the past 12 months for the Three Lions, including 3 goals at the 2022 World Cup.
He scored 3 goals in 4 matches in his FIFA World Cup debut last December, winning the title of Best Player of the Match with an impressive performance against Iran and scoring his first hat-trick in the competition. against North Macedonia last June.
Saka was presented with the award on his 22nd birthday at St. George’s Park, where the England team is gathering to prepare for the EURO 2024 qualifying match against Ukraine on Saturday.
Up to now, Saka is still the only Arsenal name to receive this honor since the award’s inception 19 years ago. The award ends a winning week for Saka, who was recently crowned PFA Young Player of the Year and included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.
