Steven Gerrard's leadership of Liverpool's most sustained title challenge in years has won him the Football Writers' Association (FWA)'s player of the year award for the first time. The Reds captain saw off challenges from Manchester United's Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand to secure top spot in a poll of FWA members.
The 28-year-old has spent most of this season playing as a second striker, forging an exhilarating partnership with Fernando Torres. He has scored 23 goals in all competitions and become the club's record scorer in European competition.
FWA chairman Steve Bates said: "Steven has had a fantastic season and has so often been the driving force behind Liverpool's forceful challenge for the Premier League title. "Steven is viewed by the football writers who voted as the heartbeat of Liverpool's team and a player who gives everything for the cause." Gerrard, who will receive his award at a dinner in London on May 29, said he was "a little bit surprised" to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo, who was honoured by the FWA in both 2007 and 2008.
"When you look at the quality of the players there are in this league, it's a great privilege to win this kind of award," Gerrard said. "The quality is getting better and better each year so to win this award is a great achievement for myself. "It's made even more special for me because I am following in the footsteps of Liverpool players like John Barnes, Steve Nicol and Kenny Dalglish who were heroes of mine.
"Then further back players like Ian Callaghan and Terry McDermott who were heroes to my dad and so many other Liverpool fans." Gerrard is the first Liverpool player to win the award since Barnes in 1990, which was also the last year the club won the English title.
The accolade means Gerrard joins a list of illustrious past winners that includes Sir Stanley Matthews, the first winner of the award in 1948, Sir Bobby Charlton and Bobby Moore, George Best, Jurgen Klinsmann, Eric Cantona and Thierry Henry.
Liverpool's talisman also joins an even more exclusive club of players to have won both the writers' award and the Professional Footballers Assocation (PFA)'s player of the year award, which he collected in 2005-06. This year's player's award was won by Giggs, who was recognised for his achievements over a long and exemplary career as much as his performances this season.