Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa, Ethan Nwaneri of Arsenal, and Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap headline the shortlist for the 2025 PFA Young Player of the Year award, as the Professional Footballers’ Association unveils the six rising stars who defined the season with elite-level impact and promise.
Rogers’ electric form in Villa’s European campaign and Nwaneri’s historic rise at just 17 years old have made them standout figures in a golden crop of emerging Premier League talent. Delap’s resurgence at newly-promoted Ipswich, where he bagged 11 goals and 7 assists, cemented his place among England’s top young strikers.
Joining the trio are Bournemouth duo Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez, whose defensive consistency helped stabilize Andoni Iraola’s backline during a turbulent campaign. Also making the list is Arsenal’s midfield dynamo Myles Lewis-Skelly, who impressed with maturity and technical brilliance well beyond his 18 years.
The 2025 finalists reflect a new generation of English footballers reshaping the league’s narrative. Nwaneri became the youngest player to score in a North London Derby, while Kerkez’s heat-map dominance and Huijsen’s passing range earned widespread praise. Rogers, a late bloomer, hit 10 goals and 9 assists across all competitions, including Europa Conference League heroics for Villa.
The PFA Awards ceremony, slated for July 28 in Manchester, will celebrate these future stars alongside senior honourees. Previous winners of the Young Player award include Jude Bellingham (2023), Phil Foden (2022), and Bukayo Saka (2021), all of whom have since graduated into global icons.
While fan sentiment is split between Nwaneri’s prodigious flair and Rogers’ all-round contribution, many believe Delap’s underdog narrative — bouncing back from a loan spell at Stoke to lead Ipswich’s survival — could sway voters emotionally.
Football fans, pundits, and players alike now await the final reveal, with one question on everyone’s mind: Who will follow in the footsteps of England’s next superstar?
