Henry named Premier League PoY

London, April 28:

Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has been named the Premier League’s player of the year for a record third time by English soccer writers.

Henry, 28, who has scored 28 league goals this season, is the first player in the 59-year history of the Football Writers’ Association award to win it three times. Stanley Matthews, Kenny Dalglish, John Barnes and Gary Lineker all won it twice.

Henry also won the award in 2003 and 2004. Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard won last year’s honour.

Henry broke Arsenal’s alltime goalscoring record this season and led the Gunners to their first European Cup final. Arsenal plays Barcelona on May 17.

“As I always say it is all about the team and without my teammates I would not have won this award,” Henry said. “What I am especially proud of, though, is that I am the first person to win the Footballer of the Year trophy three times.”

Chelsea’s John Terry was second, followed by Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney and Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard in voting by soccer writers. On Sunday, Gerrard was chosen player of the year by his fellow pros in voting by the Professional Footballers’ Association.