Bale and Wilshere win PFA Player of the Year awards

Tottenham winger Gareth Bale has been named as the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year, while Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has scooped the Young Player award.

Bale, 21, is the fourth Welshman to win the prize after Ian Rush, Mark Hughes and Ryan Giggs.

“I am more than delighted, really,” he said. “It is a massive award and it is a great honour to receive, especially from other fellow professionals.

“It is an honour, really, when you look at the names that have won it before and it just makes you go ‘wow’.

“There haven’t been too many Welshman to have won the trophy but it is great and it is great for me personally.

“And it is not just for me, it is for all my team-mates that have helped me through the season and it is kind of for everyone, really.”

The former Southampton youngster has won admirers across Europe this season with a number of eye-catching performances in Spurs’ run to the Champions League quarter-finals.

Bale, who has netted seven Premier League goals this season as well as four in Europe, beat off competition from Carlos Tevez, Samir Nasri, Rafael van der Vaart, Scott Parker, Charlie Adam and Nemanja Vidic to win the award.

And his manager Harry Redknapp was delighted at the news. “It is a great award for him to win and I could not be more pleased,” said Redknapp.

“There were plenty of people that could have won it. You look at the people that have won it for Gareth to have won it at such a young age it must be the proudest moment of his life. It is incredible.

“He has been brilliant, I am really pleased for him and he is a nice lad, which is the most important thing.”

Meanwhile, Gunners midfielder Wilshere was thrilled to win the Young Player of the Year award.

The 19-year-old England international has sparkled for Arsene Wenger’s side this season and is the fifth young Gunner to scoop the prize.

“It is my first full season and it is a massive award, especially from my fellow players,” said Wilshere. “It is amazing. I am very proud to be the fifth recipient from Arsenal, it is good to keep this history going.

“Arsenal is a good club for bringing youngsters through and they keep proving it so I would like to thank the manager as well.”

Premier League Team of the Year

Van der Sar (Man United), Sagna (Arsenal), Cole (Chelsea), Vidic (Man United), Kompany (Man City), Nani (Man United), Nasri (Arsenal), Wilshere (Arsenal), Bale (Tottenham), Tevez (Man City), Berbatov (Man United).

Championship Team of the Year

Kenny (QPR), Naughton (Leicester), Harte (Reading), Williams (Swansea), Morgan (Nottm Forest), Taarabt (QPR), Sinclair (Swansea), King (Leicester), Hoolahan (Norwich), Graham (Watford), Holt (Norwich).

League One Team of the Year

Davis (Southampton), Calderon (Brighton), Harding (Southampton), Greer (Brighton), Fonte (Southampton), Pilkington (Huddersfield), Bennett (Brighton), Lallana (Southampton), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Southampton), Mackail-Smith (Peterborough), Wright-Phillips (Charlton).

League Two Team of the Year

Lee (Chesterfield), Batt (Oxford), Skarz (Bury), Sharps (Shrewsbury), Branston (Torquay), Whitaker (Chesterfield), Ainsworth (Wycombe), Ryan (Accrington), Lowe (Bury), Law (Rotherham), Davies (Chesterfield).