Cheek Crowned League Two’s Player of Year at 2025 PFA Awards

Bromley’s Michael Cheek has been crowned League Two’s Player of the Year at 2025 PFA Awards. 

Having graduated into the EFL for the first time with Bromley following their National League Play-Off victory in May 2024, Cheek enjoyed a memorable debut League Two season with 26 goals and eight assists in 49 appearances.

It was therefore no surprise that he followed up his 2024-25 EFL League Two Player of the Season award won at the EFL Awards in April with another gong at the PFA Awards, as his fellow players voted him the best player in the fourth division.

The 33-year-old also was named in the PFA League Two Team of the Season for his goalscoring exploits.

Cheek however missed the ceremony due to Bromley’s 2-1 victory at Cheltenham in League Two, in which he scored their second goal to equal Butch Dunn’s 132-goal record in the post-amateur era of the club.

Across in the Premier League, Mohamed Salah was crowned their Player of the Year for a record third time after he delivered 34 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool, as the Reds won a second Premier League title in their first season under Arne Slot.

Salah also earned a place in the Premier League XI of the Year which was marred by the absence of Alexander Isak, who skipped the ceremony amidst a stand off between him and Newcastle over his future on Tyneside.

Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers was crowned the PFA Men’s Young Player of the Year following his breakthrough campaign with 14 goals and 13 assists in 54 appearances, during which Villa reached FA Cup semi-finals and Quarter-Finals of Champions League.

Manchester City’s goalkeeper, James Trafford was awarded the 2024-25 Championship Player of the Year gong after he kept 29 clean sheets for Burnley last season, during which he set a new record of 12 consecutive clean sheets in the second tier as the Clarets won promotion.

His performances also saw Trafford named in the Championship Team of the Year alongside his ex Burnley teammates, CJ Egan-Riley, Maxime Esteve and Josh Brownhill, although Brownhill has too left Turf Moor this summer.

QPR’s summer signing, Richard Kone picked up the League One Player of the Year award after he netted 21 goals in 52 appearances at just 22 years-old, having only broke through into senior football after his involvement in 2019 Homeless World Cup representing Ivory Coast.

Kone also is named in League One’s Team of the Season which is largely dominated by Birmingham’s title-winning squad members, with Jay Stansfield headlining that XI.

Arsenal’s Mariona Caldentey was voted the PFA WSL’s Player of the Year after she enjoyed an impressive debut campaign with nine goals in 21 league appearances, although she scored 19 goals in 41 total appearances across all competitions as the Gunners won UEFA Women’s Champions League title.

Caldentey too featured in the WSL Team of the Year alongside her Arsenal teammates; Emily Fox, Kim Little and Alessia Russo.

Olivia Smith meanwhile was handed the PFA Women’s Young Player of the Year gong after she netted nine goals in 25 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool, which saw Arsenal splash a British women’s transfer record £1m to sign her this summer.

Gareth Southgate and Emma Hayes received PFA Merit Awards for their services to English football, with Southgate having resigned as England manager last summer following UEFA Men’s Euro heartache in the final once more.

Hayes meanwhile left Chelsea that same summer to take up the USA Women’s managerial position and since led them to Olympics gold in her first major tournament at senior international level.

 

Full List of Winners

Premier League’s Player of the Year

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

 

Championship’s Player of the Year

James Trafford (Burnley)

 

League One’s Player of the Year

Richard Kone (Wycombe Wanderers)

 

League Two’s Player of the Year

Michael Cheek (Bromley)

 

WSL’s Player of the Year

Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal)

 

PFA Young Men’s Player of the Year

Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)

 

PFA Young Women’s Player of the Year

Olivia Smith (Liverpool)

 

Premier League Team of the Year 

• Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest)
• William Saliba (Arsenal)
• Gabriel (Arsenal)
• Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
• Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth)
• Declan Rice (Arsenal)
• Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool)
• Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)
• Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
• Alexander Isak (Newcastle)
• Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)

 

WSL Team of the Year

• Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United)
• Emily Fox (Arsenal)
• Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United)
• Millie Bright (Chelsea)
• Jayde Riviere (Manchester United)
• Yu Hasegawa (Manchester City)
• Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea)
• Kim Little (Arsenal)
• Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal)
• Alessia Russo (Arsenal)
• Mary Fowler (Manchester City)

 

Championship Team of the Year

• James Trafford (Burnley)
• Jayden Bogle (Leeds)
• CJ-Egan Riley (Burnley)
• Maxime Esteve (Burnley)
• Junior Firpo (Leeds)
• Ao Tanaka (Leeds)
• Josh Brownhill (Burnley)
• Gustavo Hamer (Sheffield United)
• Broja Sainz (Norwich)
• Joel Piroe (Leeds)
• Dan James (Leeds)

 

League One Team of the Year

• Ryan Allsop (Birmingham City)
• Ethan Laird (Birmingham City)
• Lloyd Jones (Charlton)
• Christoph Klarer (Birmingham City)
• Alex Cochrane (Birmingham City)
• Tomoki Iwata (Birmingham City)
• Paik Seung-Ho (Birmingham City)
• Kwame Poku (Peterborough)
• Charlie Kelman (Leyton Orient)
• Richard Kone (Wycombe Wanderers)
• Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City)

 

League Two Team of the Year

• Owen Goodman (AFC Wimbledon)
• Brad Halliday (Bradford City)
• Mickey Demetriou (Crewe Alexandra)
• Taylor Allen (Walsall)
• Denver Hume (Grimsby)
• George Abbott (Notts County)
• Jack Payne (Colchester United)
• Luke Molyneux (Doncaster Rovers)
• David McGoldrick (Notts County)
• Michael Cheek (Bromley)
• Alassana Jatta (Notts County)

 

PFA Merit Award

Gareth Southgate

 

PFA Merit Award

Emma Hayes