FWA Women's Footballer of the Year

This article is about the women's award. For the men's award, see FWA Footballer of the Year.

FWA Women's Footballer of the Year

Alessia Russo won the award in 2025.
Sport	Association football
Competition	All levels of English women's football
Country	England and Wales
Presented by	FWA
History
First award	2018
Editions	7
First winner	Fran Kirby
Most recent	Alessia Russo
Website	footballwriters.co.uk/awards

The Football Writers' Association Women's Footballer of the Year (often called the FWA Women's Footballer of the Year, or in England simply the Women's Footballer of the Year) is an annual award given to the player who is voted as the best of the season in English football. ^[1] The award has been presented since the 2017–18 season, with the inaugural winner being Chelsea forward Fran Kirby. The most recent winner of the award as of 2024–25, is Alessia Russo of Arsenal W.F.C.

The winner is selected by a vote amongst the members of the Football Writers' Association (FWA), which comprises around 400 football journalists based throughout England. ^[2]

Winners

Fran Kirby was the first player to win the award twice. ^[3] Sam Kerr was the first player to win the award twice in a row. ^[4]

Year		Player	Club	Also won	Notes
2017–18		Fran Kirby	Chelsea	WPPY	[5]
2018–19		Nikita Parris	Manchester City		[6]
2019–20		Vivianne Miedema	Arsenal		[7]
2020–21		Fran Kirby (2)	Chelsea	WPPY	[8]
2021–22		Sam Kerr	Chelsea	WPPY	[9]
2022–23		Sam Kerr (2)	Chelsea		[10]
2023–24		Khadija Shaw	Manchester City		[11]
2024–25		Alessia Russo	Arsenal		[12]

Breakdown of winners

By country

Fran Kirby was the inaugural winner in 2018 following a remarkable season with Chelsea

Vivianne Miedema of Arsenal and the Netherlands won in 2020

Country	Number of wins	Winning years
England	4	2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2024–25
Australia	2	2021–22, 2022–23
Jamaica	1	2023–24
Netherlands	1	2019–20

Winners by club

Club	Number of wins	Winning years
Chelsea	4	2017–18, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23
Manchester City	2	2018–19, 2023–24
Arsenal	2	2019–20, 2024–25

See also

• PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year

References

1. "England Player Honours – Football Writers' Association Footballers of the Year". England Football Online. 19 June 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2008.
2. "About the FWA". Football Writers' Association. Archived from the original on 8 April 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2008.
3. "Kirby named FWA women's player of year". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
4. Pinnock, Hannah (12 May 2023). "Chelsea forward Sam Kerr named FWA's Women's player of the year". Football.London. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
5. "Fran Kirby: Chelsea Ladies striker wins first FWA Women's Footballer of the Year award". BBC. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
6. "England's Lucky Charm". BBC. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
7. "Arsenal's Vivianne Miedema named FWA women's footballer of the year". The Guardian. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
8. "Fran Kirby: Chelsea and England forward scoops FWA player of the year award for second time". BBC Sport. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
9. "Mohamed Salah & Sam Kerr win Football Writers' Association awards". BBC Sport. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
10. "Erling Haaland and Sam Kerr win Football Writers' Association awards". BBC Sport. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
11. "Foden and Shaw win Football Writers' Association awards". BBC Sport. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
12. "Mohamed Salah and Alessia Russo win FWA player of the year awards". BBC Sport. 9 May 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.

External links

• Football Writers' Association