Chelsea winger Eden Hazard has been named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year, chalking up another accolade to add to his PFA Player of the Year award.
The Belgian, 24, is the first Chelsea player to scoop the award since Frank Lampard in 2004/05 after collecting 53 per cent of the vote.
Tottenham’s breakthrough act Harry Kane polled second, with Hazard’s team-mate and captain John Terry finishing third.
Hazard has scored 19 goals across all competitions for his club this season, starring as the Blues clinched a Premier League and League Cup double.
He arrived at Stamford Bridge in a reported £32 million switch in the summer of 2012 from Lille, where he was twice crowned Ligue 1 player of the year.
FWA chairman Andy Dunn, of the Sunday Mirror, said: “The list of truly world class players on the Football Writers’ Association roll of honour is a long one and Eden Hazard is a worthy addition.
“A creator, a goalscorer and the hardest of workers, Hazard has been a constant source of threat for the Barclays Premier League champions.
“But it is not just his trickery, his pace, his artistry and his marksmanship that make Hazard such an invaluable component of Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea squad, it is his durability.
“Hazard has started all 36 Premier League matches and, considering the particularly close attention he receives from opponents, that is a feat in itself.
“But, of course, it is his electrifying, attacking talent that has made Eden the first Belgian to win the Footballer of the Year award.
“He is a brilliant successor to Luis Suarez and we just hope he stays in the Premier League for a lot longer than Luis did after collecting the trophy.”
Hazard will be honoured at a gala dinner at the Landmark London Hotel on May 21.
Kane has also enjoyed a remarkable season, displacing Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado as Tottenham’s leading striker, and becoming the first Spurs player since Gary Lineker to fire 30 goals in a season.
Terry, meanwhile, was pivotal to Chelsea’s title challenge as he marshalled his defence throughout the season – chipping in five goals – without missing a minute of Premier League action.
Fellow Blues players Cesc Fabregas, Branislav Ivanovic and Thibaut Courtois also polled in the top 10. The other players who received votes were Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez, Manchester United stopper David De Gea, Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero and Leicester City’s Esteban Cambiasso.
