The Premier League PFA Awards took place last night as voted for by the players, with Ryan Giggs scooping the top prize.

With Ryan Giggs’s award – more of a life-time achievement award I thought - not causing too much shock (although Steven Gerrard may feel justifiably hard done by), Ashley Young, of Aston Villa, was the surprise choice for Young PFA Player of the Year; beating off competition from the likes of Stephen Ireland and Theo Walcott.

Myself, and football commentators alike, had earmarked Manchester City’s Stephen Ireland for the PFA Young Player Award, after impressing all with his sublime game and consistent form this season. Although Ashley Young played superbly in the first half of the season, he has struggled in recent months, seeing his Aston Villa team slip down the table: which is why his award comes as somewhat of a shock.

Ryan Giggs wins PFA Award but Ronaldo makes best team - hmmm?

No surprise with the PFA Premier League Team of the Year Awards, however; with a generous helping of Manchester United players included; including a place for Cristiano Ronaldo: who at best has had an indifferent season for United.

Could the English Premier League, and the English FA, by any chance, be trying to persuade the International megastar to stay in English Football; One wonders.

Here are the English Premier League’s and rest of the English Football Leagues’ PFA Teams’ of the Year, for those of you who missed it:

Premier League team of the year: Edwin Van der Sar (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Fernando Torres (Liverpool)

Championship team: Keiren Westwood (Coventry), Kyle Naughton (Sheff Utd), Roger Johnson (Cardiff), Richard Stearman (Wolves), Daniel Fox (Coventry), Michael Kightly (Wolves), Stephen Hunt (Reading), Joe Ledley (Cardiff), Jordi Gomez (Swansea, on loan from RCD Espanyol), Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (Wolves), Jason Scotland (Swansea).

League One team: Joe Murphy (Scunthorpe), Neal Eardley (Oldham), Jack Hobbs (Leicester), Sean O’Hanlon, Dean Lewington (both MK Dons), Fabian Delph (Leeds), Matt Oakley (Leicester), Chris Taylor (Oldham), George Boyd (Peterborough), Rickie Lambert (Bristol Rovers), Matt Fryatt (Leicester).

League Two team: Scott Shearer (Wycombe), Neil Austin (Darlington), Simon King (Gillingham), David McCracken (Wycombe), Tom Kennedy (Rochdale), Omar Daley (Bradford), Dany N’Guessan (Lincoln), Ben Davies (Shrewsbury), Tommy Doherty (Wycombe), Andy Bishop (Bury), Grant Holt (Shrewsbury).

If you missed The English Football Post’s Ryan Giggs article by Jordan Lister, when Giggs was in sintulating form a few months back, then here it is again:

Ryan Giggs – A Living Legend

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