TheCable

Mohamed Salah has won the 2018 Football Writers’ Association (FWA) player of the year award.

The 25-year-old Liverpool star beat Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne to win the award. He polled more than 90 percent of the FWA member votes.

Salah is the first African winner of the prize and only the second non-European player to win after former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez.

“It’s been the tightest call since 1968/69, when there was a dead heat between Tony Book of Manchester City and Derby’s Dave Mackay,” Patrick Barclay, FWA chief, said.

“Right up to the last week or so we thought it might happen again, so strong was the support for Kevin de Bruyne, but Mo Salah’s relentless match-winning form, exemplified by his two great goals against Roma, seems to have swung the vote by a very narrow margin.

“What a race it has been between two players who, in a relatively short time, have reached genuine world class. But Mo Salah is the worthiest of winners. He is also the first African to receive the award and we congratulate him on a magnificent season.”

The Egyptian, who was named PFA player of the year in April, will be honoured at the Footballer of the Year dinner on May 10.

Sergio Aguero, Christian Eriksen, Roberto Firmino, David Silva, Raheem Sterling, Jan Vertonghen and Nick Pope were the other players in contention for the award.