Tottenham's Gareth Bale adds Football Writers' flagship award to two PFA prizes

Gareth Bale has been been named Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association.

A huge honour

Bale becomes Spurs' first winner of the FWA award since David Ginola in 1999, and the first Wales international to be selected for English football's oldest individual trophy since Everton's Neville Southall in 1985. The Tottenham star said: "It is a huge honour to receive the Footballer of the Year award from the Football Writers' Association. "It means a lot to win this award when you consider the number of players that have been outstanding for their clubs in the Barclays Premier League this season. "I have been very fortunate to be playing in such a fantastic team and I owe a lot to my team-mates and, obviously, the manager who has shown such faith in me. "This award has been won in the past by some of the greatest names in football and I consider it a privilege that the FWA has selected me to be named alongside them."