Declan Rice won Premier League Player of the Year 2024, and Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou was named Manager of the Year at the London Football Awards.
The top football players in London were recognized at a ceremony at Camden’s Roundhouse. Harry Redknapp, Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise, and Guglielmo Vicario were also awarded trophies.
Before earning a record-breaking £100 million transfer to north London, Rice, an Arsenal midfielder and 2022 Premier League Player of the Year, had an amazing season leading West Ham to the Europa Conference League title.
As the driving force behind Mikel Arteta’s Gunners’ title challenge, Rice has emerged as the team’s new pivot, scoring important goals in pivotal games.
Rice won the LFA’s premier men’s title for the second straight season, defeating opposition from Spurs teammates Vicario and Pedro Porro, former teammate Jarrod Bowen, and current teammate William Saliba. In 2023, Martin Odegaard emerged victorious.
Cole Palmer, a summer addition for Chelsea, won the Men’s Young Player of the Year title, following in the footsteps of 2022 winner and teammate Conor Gallagher.
After moving to the city, Palmer, a former Manchester City youth product, has scored 14 goals and provided nine assists across all competitions, making him the standout player of an otherwise challenging season at Stamford Bridge.
In a hotly contested field that also included David Moyes, Mikel Arteta, and Richie Wellens of Leyton Orient, Spurs manager Postecoglou upset departed Chelsea manager Emma Hayes to win Manager of the Year in the dugout.
Since moving from Glasgow to north London, “Big Ange” has swiftly gained popularity among Spurs supporters thanks to his bold aggressive style and ability to guide the team through an injury crisis to fifth position in the Premier League.
Goalkeeper of the Year, sponsored by i, went to Vicario, another Spurs summer rookie, for his equally groundbreaking performance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He brought stability back to his team’s defense and topped the league in several key metrics.
After defeating fellow blues players Guro Reiten and Niamh Charles, Lauren James, the 2023 Women’s Young Player of the Year winner in the WSL, has advanced to Player of the Year.
James, who scored 12 goals in just 13 league games this season, has become Chelsea’s crown jewel in addition to being a major contributor to England’s World Cup victory last summer. The former Manchester United forward, who is only 22, seemed destined to compete for this title for many years to come.