Drinan Named 2026 PFA’s League Two Player of the Year

Swindon Town’s Aaron Drinan won the League Two PFA Player of the Year gong at the 2026 PFA Awards. 

Drinan’s success comes months after he won the same category at the 2026 EFL Awards after a successful 2025-26 season saw him deliver 28 goals in 47 appearances, which also earned him a place on the League Two Team of the Year alongside fellow shortlisted Player of the Year nominees;

• Sammy Braybrooke (Chesterfield
• Omar Sowunmi (Bromley)
• Mitch Pinnock (Bromley
• Michael Cheek (Bromley)
• Callum Patterson (MK Dons)

Matthew Hudson, Kelland Watts, Jack Sanders, James Gibbons and Alex Gilbey are also named in the League Two’s Team of the Year.

Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes took home the PFA Men’s Player of the Year award after he spearheaded their charge to third place in the top flight, with nine goals and 22 assists in all competitions – of which a record-breaking 21 assists came in the Premier League alone.

Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw meanwhile won the PFA’S Women Player of the Year after she helped the Cityzens to a Women’s Super League and Women’s FA Cup double, with 27 goals in 32 appearances.

Birmingham City’s Lily Crosthwaite meanwhile took home the WSL2 Player of the Year gong.

Hayden Hackney was crowned Championship’s PFA Player of the Year for his performances last season at Middlesbrough, although he this summer completed a transfer to Premier League’s Everton, and he was also named in the Championship Team of the Year.

Dom Ballard was crowned PFA League One’s Player of the Year after he scored 23 goals in 44 appearances for Leyton Orient last season, although he has since moved to Bristol City this summer, and was also selected in League One’s Team of the Year.

Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly and Arsenal’s Olivia Smith won the PFA Young Men and Women’s Player of the Year categories respectively.

 

List of Winners

PFA Men’s Player of the Year – Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)

PFA Women’s Player of the Year – Khadija Shaw (Manchester City)

PFA WSL2 Player of the Year – Lily Crosthwaite (Birmingham City)

PFA Championship Player of the Year – Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough, now at Everton)

PFA League One Player of the Year – Dom Ballard (Leyton Orient, now at Bristol City)

PFA League Two Player of the Year – Aaron Drinan (Swindon)

PFA Young Men’s Player of the Year – Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City)

PFA Young Women’s Player of the Year – Olivia Smith (Arsenal)

PFA Premier League Team of the Year – David Raya (Arsenal), Gabriel (Arsenal), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), William Saliba (Arsenal), Jurrien Timber (Arsenal),  Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City), Igor Thiago (Brentford)

PFA WSL Team of the Year – Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Kerstin Casparij (Manchester City), Toko Koga (Tottenham), Ellie Carpenter (Chelsea), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City), Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal), Jessica Park (Manchester United), Khadija Shaw (Manchester City), Alessia Russo (Arsenal), Lauren James (Chelsea)

PFA Championship Team of the Year – Carl Rushworth (Coventry), Milan van Ewijk (Coventry), Bobby Thomas (Coventry), Tristian Crama (Millwall), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Southampton), Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough), Matt Grimes (Coventry City), Jack Rudoni (Coventry), Zan Vipotnik (Swansea), Haji Wright (Coventry), Femi Azeez (Millwall)

PFA League One Team of the Year – George Wickens (Lincoln City), Sonny Bradley (Lincoln City), Tendayi Darikwa (Lincoln City), Perry Ng (Cardiff), Carl Piergianni (Stevenage), Oliver Norwood (Stockport County), Lewis Wing (Reading), Jack Moylan (Lincoln City), Dom Ballard (Leyton Orient), Kyle Wootton (Stockport County), Amario Cozier-Duberry (Bolton)

PFA League Two Team of the Year – Matthew Hudson (Oldham), Omar Sowunmi (Bromley), Kelland Watts (Cambridge), Jack Sanders (MK Dons), James Gibbons (Cambridge), Alex Gilbey (MK Dons), Mitch Pinnock (Bromley), Sammy Braybrooke (Chesterfield), Aaron Drinan (Swindon), Michael Cheek (Bromley), Callum Paterson (MK Dons)

PFA Merit Award – Karen Carney