Chelsea
midfielder Eden Hazard has been named the PFA Player of the Year.
Hazard, 24 and last season’s Young Player of the Year, has scored 18 goals
in 47 games for the Blues this season, inspiring the current league leaders
to the brink of a first Premier League title since 2010.
Having impressed at the World Cup with Belgium, Hazard started the season
strongly and then scored four vital goals in a bullish run of form through
December.
More recently he has scored five goals in eight games, including the winner
in a thrilling 1-0 victory over Manchester United on April 18.
Hazard was rewarded for his sterling performances with the top individual
award of the night at the PFA's awards ceremony at the Grosvenor Hotel in
London.
He said: "I'm very happy. One day I want to be the best and what I did this
season is play very well, Chelsea played very well.
"I don't know if I deserve to win but it is good for me. It is good, it is
better to be voted by the players - they know everything about football.
This is good. I'm very happy.
"We are almost champions, maybe this is the key. Last season we finished
third and this season we have an opportunity to win the league. This has
changed from last season.
"I continue like I did last season - I try to be the same. I try to score
more goals than last season. Personally I have played a good season, I have
been there in the big games and I scored a lot of important goals, this is
why I'm better this season.
"I started the season not to be the PFA Player of the Year but it was in my
head - I want to be the best and I hope one day I can win a lot of trophies.
"I just want to say thank you to the players who voted for me - it is always
good to have an individual trophy but the most important thing is to win the
league.
"I hope I can win a lot of trophies again - the most important is to win the
league, without my team-mates I would not be here.
"Jose (Mourinho) lets me play, we talk sometimes together and when I'm on
the pitch I know what I have to do, this is most important."
Hazard was also named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year - for the
third time in his three seasons in England.
He was one of six Blues players in the XI, along with captain John Terry,
Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanovic, Nemanja Matic and Diego Costa.
South Korean midfielder Ji So-yun made it a Chelsea double by taking the
Women's Player of the Year award.
She said: "It is a big honour to receive this award - I want to thank
Chelsea Ladies' players and staff.
"I'm really, really happy to be nominated alongside Hazard, I'm really proud
of myself and Chelsea, and the Chelsea Ladies team."
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