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PFAI Young Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland Players' Young Player of the Year (often called the PFAI Players' Young Player of the Year, the PFAI Young Player of the Year, or simply the Young Player of the Year) award is given to the footballer in the top-flight of Irish football, the League of Ireland, who is seen to have been the best player of the previous season and is under 23 years of age.
The shortlist is compiled by the members of the Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland (the PFAI), and then the winner is voted for by the other players in the league.
The award was first given in 1982, and was won by Bohemians player Jacko McDonagh. The most recent winner of the PFAI Young Player of the Year award was Mason Melia of St Patrick's Athletic.
UEFA Euro 2016 saw three former winners of the award making appearances at the finals tournament in France, with two of them (Wes Hoolahan of the Republic of Ireland and Niall McGinn of Northern Ireland) scoring goals for their countries.
List of winners
Highlighted players are winning the award for a second time.
2020s
| Year | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ENG Owen Elding | Sligo Rovers |
| 2024 | IRL Mason Melia | St Patrick's Athletic |
| 2023 | IRL Sam Curtis | St Patrick's Athletic |
| 2022 | IRL Andy Lyons | Shamrock Rovers |
| 2021 | IRL Dawson Devoy | Bohemians |
| 2020 | IRE Danny Grant | Bohemians |
2010s
| Year | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | IRE Danny Mandroiu | Bohemians |
| 2018 | IRE Jamie McGrath | Dundalk |
| 2017 | IRE Trevor Clarke | Shamrock Rovers |
| 2016 | IRE Sean Maguire | Cork City |
| 2015 | IRE Brandon Miele | Shamrock Rovers |
| 2014 | IRE Daryl Horgan | Dundalk |
| 2013 | IRE Richie Towell | Dundalk |
| 2012 | IRE Chris Forrester | St Patrick's Athletic |
| 2011 | IRE Enda Stevens | Shamrock Rovers |
| 2010 | IRE Shaun Williams | Sporting Fingal |
2000s
| Year | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | IRE Conor Powell | Bohemians |
| 2008 | NIR Niall McGinn | Derry City |
| 2007 | IRE Mark Quigley | St Patrick's Athletic |
| 2006 | NIR Kevin Deery | Derry City |
| 2005 | NIR Paddy McCourt | Derry City |
| 2004 | IRE Daryl Murphy | Waterford United |
| 2003 | Libya Éamon Zayed | Bray Wanderers |
| 2003 | IRE Wes Hoolahan | Shelbourne |
| 2002 | IRE Robbie Martin | UCD |
| 2001 | IRE Richie Foran | Shelbourne |
| 2000 | IRE Richie Baker | Shelbourne |
1990s
| Year | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | IRE Richie Baker | Shelbourne |
| 1998 | IRE Colin Hawkins | St Patrick's Athletic |
| 1997 | NIR Gary Beckett | Derry City |
| 1996 | IRE Michael O'Byrne | UCD |
| 1995 | IRE Billy Woods | Cork City |
| 1994 | IRE Jim Crawford | Bohemians |
| 1993 | IRE Richie Purdy | Dundalk |
| 1992 | IRE Tony McCarthy | Shelbourne |
| 1991 | IRE Barry Ryan | Limerick |
| 1990 | IRE Vinny Arkins / IRE Tony Cousins | Shamrock Rovers / Dundalk |
1980s
| Year | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | NIR Liam Coyle | Derry City |
| 1988 | IRE Paul McGee | Bohemians |
| 1987 | IRE Martin Bayly | Sligo Rovers |
| 1986 | IRE Liam O'Brien | Shamrock Rovers |
| 1985 | IRE Peter Coyle | Limerick |
| 1984 | IRE Joe Hanrahan | UCD |
| 1983 | IRE Ken DeMange | Home Farm |
| 1982 | IRE Jacko McDonagh | Bohemians |
Breakdown of winners
Winners by club
| Club | Number of wins |
|---|---|
| Bohemians | 7 (1982, 1988, 1994, 2009, 2019, 2020, 2021) |
| Shamrock Rovers | 6 (1986, 1990, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2022) |
| St Patrick's Athletic | 5 (1998, 2007, 2012, 2023, 2024) |
| Dundalk | 5 (1990, 1993, 2013, 2014, 2018) |
| Derry City | 5 (1989, 1997, 2005, 2006, 2008) |
| Shelbourne | 5 (1992, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003) |
| UCD | 3 (1984, 1996, 2002) |
| Sligo Rovers | 2 (1987, 2025) |
| Cork City | 2 (1995, 2016) |
| Limerick | 2 (1985, 1991) |
| Sporting Fingal | 1 (2010) |
| Waterford United | 1 (2004) |
| Bray Wanderers | 1 (2003) |
| Home Farm | 1 (1983) |
Winners by country
| Country | Number of wins |
|---|---|
| IRE Republic of Ireland | 38 (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) |
| 5 (1989, 1997, 2005, 2006, 2008) | |
| 1 (2025) | |
| 1 (2003) |
Trivia
- In 2000, Richie Baker became the first – and so far only – player to win the award twice. He achieved this feat by winning the award in successive seasons
- In 1990, the award was shared between Vinny Arkins and Tony Cousins. This is the only year that the award was shared.
- In 1989, Liam Coyle became the first player from outside of the Republic of Ireland to win the award.
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