By Fawaz Adebisi
Bukayo Saka, the Arsenal Forward, has secured the PFA Young Player of the Year award for his remarkable performance throughout the 2022/23 season.
After being nominated thrice in the past, the 21-year-old’s standout displays last season were impossible to overlook by his fellow players. Members of the Professional Footballers’ Association cast their votes, and Bukayo emerged as the winner.
Outpacing teammate Gabriel Martinelli, who had an impressive 15 Premier League goals, Bukayo claimed the majority of votes for the award.
Among the other contenders were Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey, Brighton’s Evan Ferguson, and former Seagull Moises Caicedo, who recently joined Chelsea.
Bukayo’s outstanding campaign included a career-high of 15 goals across all competitions and 11 assists.
He was a constant presence in all 38 Premier League matches for the second consecutive season and played a pivotal role for England in the 2022 World Cup, scoring three times in four games as England reached the quarter-finals in Qatar.
The season concluded on a high note as he signed a new long-term contract with the club he has been a part of since the age of eight.
In the previous season, Bukayo had already garnered recognition by winning the Football London Young Player of the Year award and placing third in the Football Writer’s Association Player of the Year voting.
He had also been nominated for both the Premier League’s Player and Young Player of the Season awards before ultimately securing the esteemed PFA prize.
This marks the 50th year of the award since its inception in the 1973/74 season. Bukayo becomes the 45th distinct recipient and the sixth player from Arsenal to claim it.
He joins the ranks of Tony Adams (1986/87), Paul Merson (1988/89), Nicolas Anelka (1998/99), Cesc Fabregas (2007/08), and Jack Wilshere (2010/11).
The trophy was presented to Bukayo by Jack Wilshere at the Lowry Theatre in Manchester, creating a heartwarming moment as two prominent products of Hale End shared the stage.
