Soccer: Sheringham secures PFA award

Teddy Sheringham has added the Professional Footballers' Association player of the year prize to the football writers' gong he won last week.

Sheringham, the oldest winner of the title at the age of 35, held off United club captain Roy Keane and Arsenal's Thierry Henry, second and third respectively.

Sheringham received his award from Steve Redgrave and described the award as the "biggest personal award you can get in the game".

He said: "I first came to this dinner at 17 or 18 when I'd just started playing for Millwall and you think one day you are going to be up there.

"I'm here now and it's a great honour to be recognised by your fellow professionals.

"It's a great list of previous winners and it's one of those things you will look back on in years to come.

"It's the biggest personal award you can get in the game and it's something that you really cherish."

Sheringham maintains the recent tradition of players claiming the two most prestigious domestic player of the year awards, following Keane's double 12 months ago and David Ginola's PFA and football writers' accolades the year before.

Sheringham's 21 goals - all but six have come in the league - helped Alex Ferguson's men to the Premiership title in record time.

Joining Sheringham and Keane, from the Old Trafford ranks, among the PFA team of the year were Brown, Fabien Barthez, Jaap Stam and Ryan Giggs.

However, there was no place for England captain David Beckham in the XI selected by his fellow professionals with Gerrard and Patrick Vieira of Arsenal completing the midfield quartet.

Of Sheringham, PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said: "It's a fitting testimony to the fact that there is no substitute for skill and ability regardless of age."

Premiership top scorer Marcus Stewart, Liverpool's Emile Heskey - who also missed out on the young player award - and Giggs were the others that made the short-list.

Meanwhile Jimmy Hill, who has served football as player, manager, chairman, administrator and media pundit, was presented with the merit award by former England player George Cohen to mark the 40th anniversary of his successful campaign to remove a maximum wage for players.

Hill joins an illustrious group with greats such as Stanley Matthews, Nat Lofthouse, Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley winners in the past.