Source: Team_Talk
Rooney named Player of the Year
Manchester United's Wayne Rooney has been named the PFA Player of the Year, with Aston Villa's James Milner winning the Young Player gong.[LNB] Rooney's selection ahead of Cesc Fabregas, Carlos Tevez and Didier Drogba means United have supplied the winner of the award for a fourth successive year. [LNB]The 24-year-old has been in sensational form this season, scoring 34 goals for United and eight for England, and is key to the nation's World Cup hopes. [LNB]"It's a great feeling to win the player of the year award because it's voted for by the players," said Rooney. [LNB]"It's something I'm really proud of and it's a great honour. [LNB]"I remember coming here in 2005 and 2006 to win the young player of the year. [LNB]"I saw the players winning the main one and it's something I've aimed for since." [LNB]Rooney, who has only just returned from an ankle problem, missed the weekend's 3-1 victory over Tottenham with a groin injury sustained in training. [LNB]The Premier League's top scorer with 26 strikes hopes to return for United's campaign finale against Stoke next month and promised he will be fit for the World Cup. [LNB]"The groin will be fine for the World Cup, there are no worries about that,2 he said. [LNB]"I'm hoping to play for United in the last game of the season." [LNB]Rooney, the first Englishman to win the award since Steven Gerrard in 2006, paid tribute to the influence United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has had on his career. [LNB]"Sir Alex is a great manager who has really brought me on as a player since I joined United," he said. [LNB]"His hunger passes through to the players. It's great to see that he's pushing 70 and hasn't changed a bit. [LNB]"I'm sure he'll be here for a long time yet." [LNB]Rooney was also nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year, but that award went to Milner. [LNB]Milner appears to have played himself into Fabio Capello's World Cup squad with a string of stellar performances and the 24-year-old midfielder credited a change in position for his success this season. [LNB]"I've been moved into the middle and that suits me as it helps me influence the game a bit more," said Milner. [LNB]"Maybe sometimes wide right you want to influence the game but you just can't get yourself into it." [LNB]Leeds legend and former South Africa captain Lucas Radebe, 41, won the PFA Merit award. [LNB]"I'm very proud to get such a great award. Sport can change the world - football has played such a big part in lifting my community," said Radebe. [LNB]The PFA divisional team of the year contains four United players, spearheaded by Rooney. [LNB]Arsenal, whose title challenge fell away in the final rounds, supply Fabregas and Thomas Vermaelen and there are also two from Chelsea in Drogba and Branislav Ivanovic. [LNB]The inclusion of Milner and Richard Dunne means Aston Villa are represented twice as well. [LNB]Premier League team of the year: Hart, Ivanovic, Vermaelen, Dunne, Evra, Fabregas, Milner, Fletcher, Valencia, Rooney, Drogba.
