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Cristiano Ronaldo wins football writers' award

02/05/2008

Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Football Writers' footballer of the year award for the second consecutive season.

The Football Writers' Association (FWA) voted for the Portuguese international ahead of Liverpool striker Fernando Torres - who is the Reds' top scorer in his first season in England - and Portsmouth's veteran goalkeeper David James.

Ronaldo becomes only the second player ever to win back-to-back awards after Arsenal striker Thierry Henry took the prize in 2003 and 2004.

The 23-year-old now enters an elite band of only seven players to have won the FWA award more than once in its history.

Sir Stanley Matthews (1948 and 1963), Sir Tom Finney (1954 and 1957), Danny Blanchflower (1958 and 1961), John Barnes (1988 and 1990) and Gary Lineker (1986 and 1992) join Henry and Ronaldo in the prestigious list.

The chairman of the FWA Paul Hetherington said: "Ronaldo's award is no surprise after his brilliant form this season and incredible goal-scoring record - 38 at the moment - and he is, of course, essentially a winger.

"Cristiano was an overwhelming winner and, given his age, he has the potential and ability to dominate this award for years."

Ronaldo's form led United to the Premier League title last season.

This year the club is on course to repeat that feat if they can win their final two domestic matches and they face Chelsea in the Champions League final in Moscow later this month.