Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been voted the 2024/25 Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year, with Arsenal striker Alessia Russo winning the women’s award.

Salah won by the biggest margin this century, landing almost 90 per cent of all votes cast.

He has scored 28 goals and provided 18 assists this season to help Liverpool win the Premier League, and is on course to be the division’s top scorer this campaign.

The Egypt forward has claimed the FWA Footballer of the Year for a record-equalling third time after wins in 2017/18 and 2021/22.

It moves the 32-year-old level with ex-Arsenal striker Thierry Henry’s three FWA awards (2002/2003, 2003/2004 and 2005/2006).

Russo becomes the second Arsenal player to win the award after Vivianne Miedema in 2020. The vast interest in the women’s game among FWA members was reflected by the fact that 36 different players received votes

The England international has excelled in her second season at Arsenal, especially under new manager Renee Slegers.

She has scored 12 goals in 20 WSL games, and is on course to win the Golden Boot alongside Man City’s Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw.

She could claim the award outright in the Gunners’ final WSL game of the season as they go head-to-head with Russo’s former side, Man Utd, for second place in the table.

Russo has never won the FWA award before, but claimed the double prize of WSL Player of the Month and Goal of the Month in December. The forward will also play in her first Champions League final later this month, having scored seven goals in the competition so far this season.

Why I voted for Salah to be FWA Footballer of the Year

Sky Sports’ Adam Bate:

“In the end, it is a numbers game. And Mohamed Salah’s numbers tell the tale. Twenty-eight goals. Eighteen assists. The player who scored the most goals and set up the most goals has to be the Football Writers’ Association’s Footballer of the Year.

“That total of 46 combined goals and assists is 17 more than Alexander Isak and almost double that of any other Premier League player. Never in the competition’s history has there been a bigger gap between the man with the most goal involvements and the rest.

“When those outrageous numbers also delivered the Premier League title for Liverpool, there can be no serious argument for any other candidate. Salah was the difference maker this season, the decisive figure for the outstanding team in the land.”

Read more from Adam Bate HERE