Declan Rice was named the 2024 Premier League Player of the Year at the London Football Awards, while Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou was named Manager of the Year.
London’s best footballing talent was celebrated at a ceremony at Camden’s Roundhouse, which included awards for Guglielmo Vicario, Crystal Palace’s Michael Oliseh and Harry Redknapp.
Arsenal midfielder Rice was previously named the 2022 Premier League Player of the Year and won the Europa Conference League title as West Ham captain before moving to north London for a record £100m. We had such a brilliant year.
As the new anchor for Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, Rice went from strength to strength, scoring vital goals in big matches and being the driving force behind their title charge.
It is the second consecutive season that an Arsenal player has won the LFA men’s top title, with Martin Odegaard winning in 2023, while Rice is joined by former teammate Jarrod Bowen, current teammate William Saliba, He beat out competition from Spurs’ Vicario and Pedro Polo.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s summer signing Cole Palmer joined team-mate and 2022 winner Conor Gallagher in winning the Men’s Young Player of the Year award.
Former Manchester City academy product Palmer has been the undisputed bright light in a turbulent season at Stamford Bridge, scoring 14 goals in all competitions and creating a further nine since moving to the capital.
And in the dugout, Spurs boss Postecoglou beat outgoing Chelsea maestro Emma Hayes in an incredibly competitive field that also included Mikel Arteta, David Moyes and Leyton Orient’s Richie Wellens. He was named coach of the year.
Since relocating from Glasgow to north London, ‘Big Ange’ has quickly become a fan favorite, implementing a bold attacking style and overcoming an injury crisis to lead Spurs to fifth place in the Premier League.
Vicario, who also joined Spurs in the summer, was similarly transformative at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, leading the league in a range of key statistics and reintroducing stability to the team’s defense, earning him Goal of the Year honors. Awarded keeper.
In the WSL, 2023 Women’s Young Player of the Year Lauren James was crowned Player of the Year, beating fellow Blues Guro Leiten and Niamh Charles.
In addition to starring for England in last summer’s World Cup final, James has become Chelsea’s crown jewel, scoring 12 goals in just 13 league games this season. At just 22 years old, the former Manchester United forward looks set to compete for this title for years to come.
Full list of London Football Awards 2024 winners
- Premier League Player of the Year – Declan Rice (Arsenal)
- EFL Player of the Year – Alfie May (Charlton)
- Men’s Young Player of the Year – Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
- Goalkeeper of the Year – Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham)
- WSL Player of the Year – Lauren James (Chelsea)
- Women’s Young Player of the Year – Agnes Beaver-Jones (Chelsea)
- Manager of the Year – Ange Postecoglou (Tottenham)
- Season Goal – Michael Olise (Crystal Palace vs Luton Town)
- Outstanding contribution to London football – Harry Redknapp
- Power of Football Award – John Berilson (Millwall)
- Community Project of the Year – Sutton United Foundation
And 20-year-old Aggie Beaver-Jones will take over teammate James’ title as Young Female Player of the Year. She scored five goals in the WSL for Chelsea during her breakthrough season at Kingsmeadow and was also named in her first England squad.
Outside of the top flight, Charlton striker Alfie May was named EFL Player of the Year, beating out opponents Leyton Orient, AFC Wimbledon and Millwall.
May added to his 20 league goals last season and has scored a further 17 this season as he looks to single-handedly pull the relegation-threatened Addicks out of their unfortunate slump.
The LFA Goal of the Season title went to Oliseh for his incredible individual goal against Luton last November, when he darted down the right flank before firing into the top corner with his left foot.
Away from the pitch, former West Ham, Spurs and QPR manager Redknapp won the LFA’s Outstanding Contribution to London Football Award.
Born in Poplar in 1947, Redknapp has been involved with London football since his birth, spending his time in the academy at Tottenham before breaking out with West Ham in 1976 and making his breakthrough with one senior game for Brentford. He held the reins of three London clubs for 34 years. Management career in years.
The Power of Football award went to the late Millwall owner John Berilson, who passed away in June last year aged 70. During his nearly 20-year association with Millwall, the American oversaw and facilitated some of the club’s greatest moments, but his death is a sudden tragedy that has rocked football.
And this year’s Community Project was chosen by Sutton United Foundation’s Pan-Disabled Football, which continues to be a standard-bearer for inclusive football in London and beyond.
The awards were judged by an extensive jury including Carlton Cole, Tony Cottee and Bobby Zamora, and the ceremony was attended by some of the brightest minds in London football, past and present.
All funds raised by LFA, which was founded in 1999 by former Arsenal goalkeeper and TV presenter Bob Wilson following the death of his daughter, will go to LFA, the only national organization that creates memories and provides special days for seriously ill young people. The money will be donated to the charity Willow.