Van Persie named writers' player of year
Reuters - Tuesday 24 April 2012, 09:00
Arsenal striker Robin van
Persie was named England's Footballer of the Year by the
Football Writers' Association on Tuesday, two days after being
picking up the PFA Player of the Year prize.
Van Persie, 28, was the first Dutchman to win the
prestigious honour since Dennis Bergkamp, also of Arsenal, in
1998 and the third player from the Netherlands to do so
following Frans Thijssen of Ipswich Town in 1981.
He topped the poll of journalists with a landslide victory
ahead of Manchester United team mates Wayne Rooney, who won the
award in 2010, and Paul Scholes who was third after coming out
of retirement halfway through the season. Fulham's United States
striker Clint Dempsey was fourth.
Van Persie's 34 goals in all competitions have lifted
Arsenal into the top three in the Premier League, leaving them
on the brink of Champions League qualification after a very poor
start to the campaign.
FWA chairman Steve Bates told Reuters: "Robin was the
overwhelming choice of our members this season and deservedly so
after a magnificent campaign for Arsenal. The quality of his
goals, attacking movement and consistency in a turbulent season
for The Gunners has been eye-catching.
"The considerable size of his majority in the votes cast by
our members reflected the general view that he has been the
season's most outstanding individual performer."
The Footballer of the Year award is the oldest of its kind
in world football and was first awarded to Stanley Matthews in
1948.