Gareth Bale and Robin van Persie are in the running for a second PFA Player of the Year award after a six-man shortlist was revealed.

The 2013 winner will be announced at a dinner in London later this month with Van Persie's Manchester United team-mate Michael Carrick, Liverpool's Luis Suarez and Chelsea duo Eden Hazard and Juan Mata the other nominees.

Bale - the 4/11 favourite with Sky Bet - was crowned in 2011 but has hit career-best form this term, with his thrilling bursts of speed and 17 Premier League goals inspiring Tottenham's Champions League charge.

Van Persie was honoured last year after his most fruitful campaign for Arsenal but a £22.5m move to Manchester United has proved no burden.

PFA NOMINEES

Gareth Bale
Eden Hazard
Juan Mata
Robin van Persie
Michael Carrick
Luis Suarez

The Dutchman's 21 league goals for the champions-elect have been decisive in the title race, while behind him, Carrick has been a constant stabiliser in a rotating United midfield.

Hazard has netted 12 times for Chelsea in his first season since joining from Lille for £32m, while Mata's influence has grown in his second term at Stamford Bridge, the Spaniard contributing a league-best 10 assists as well as 18 goals.

Suarez may long have courted controversy but Liverpool's No.7 has made the back pages for more of the right reasons in Brendan Rodgers' debut campaign at Anfield with a league-leading 22 goals and 29 in all competitions.

Bale and Hazard are also nominated for the Young Player of the Year award with Christian Benteke, Romelu Lukaku, Danny Welbeck and Jack Wilshere completing the list.

YOUNG PLAYER NOMINEES

Gareth Bale
Christian Benteke
Romelu Lukaku
Danny Welbeck
Jack Wilshere
Eden Hazard

Aston Villa striker Benteke has been a bright spark for Paul Lambert's strugglers, bagging 15 Premier League goals so far this season, while his Belgium team-mate Lukaku is also in contention having netted 13 times in 15 Premier League starts on loan from Chelsea at West Brom.

Versatile Manchester United forward Welbeck, in line for a first Premier League winners' medal, also makes the shortlist, and Arsenal midfielder Wilshere, winner of the 2011 Young Player Award, is rewarded for an impressive return from a series of injuries.

Should be Suarez, but we'll see.

Welbeck getting a call up.


"Rewarded for an impressive return from a series of injuries."

Dat bravery

1 goal in over 1,200 minutes in the Prem as a forward. And he gets in to the young player of the year nominees because he works hard and had an injury


Is it me? Or is running non-stop actually becoming a more and more important trait for strikers compared to goals, which seemingly mean fk all.

Hazard lmao. In there for the name

Welbeck there for his goal against Madrid even though that was in the CL

Wilshere doesn't deserve to be on there. James McCarthy has been better.


Suarez should win it but Bale will get it.

It's going to be Bale imo

He edges it over RVP who went 10 games or so without scoring

Suarez's reputation cost him

Yeah RvP would have had it in the bag if he didn't fall completely off of the pace.

Bale will get it, suarex might but to be fair to Bale he's not had a noticable string of games where he's been useless. RvP and suarez have.

No Michu is an absolute joke

Bale's going to win it. Even if I don't agree with it..I don't really disagree. None of them have been consistent throughout the season - bar Carrick, and he has about as much chance of winning as Suarez being elected the most popular man in the UK.

Maybe Michu should have been there instead of Hazard?

You guys do know footballers themselves vote for this crap right? There's no conspiracy behind it.

No one is saying it's a conspiracy.

It's been a popularity contest ever since Giggs won few years ago

Hahaha no surprise really considering how much of a joke these awards are, players really are clueless and show it year after year.

As long as Suarez/RVP and Benteke take the respective awards it won't be too bad though.

How the hell one of the best defenders in the league full stop this season isn't a young nomination either is beyond me

Gil wrote:
You guys do know footballers themselves vote for this crap right? There's no conspiracy behind it.

Yes and the footballers are idiots and prove it year after year, painfully obvious they don't watch much football.

The writers footballer of the year is more respectable, at least they watch games week in week out and pay attention to their form over a period of time.

Jack and Wellbeck

No Michu is a shame.

Bale is the overwhelming favourite.

Zealous wrote:Bale is the overwhelming favourite.

I aggree, RVP went of the boil while all the professionals think Suarez is a bit of twat which is actually true so guess he is favourite.

RVP should get it tbh.... he's the reason Man Yoo are winning this league he has won them more points than any other player.

And its not even close, not sure about now but by the middle of Feb he had won them 22 f*cking points by himself.

After which he went on a Torres-esque drought and the heavy lifting fell on the shoulders of the true RPL goat Roonay the White Pele.

Zealous wrote:After which he went on a Torres-esque drought and the heavy lifting fell on the shoulders of the true RPL goat Roonay the White Pele.

The league was won by then thus job done

Besides Roonay didn't score that many it was shared among about 6 players

No respect for the Spaniards, Michu and Cazorla

EL Patron wrote:

Zealous wrote:Bale is the overwhelming favourite.

I aggree, RVP went of the boil while all the professionals think Suarez is a bit of twat which is actually true so guess he is favourite.

Not just that, there is an argument that Bale has been better.

Personally think Suarez has been better in the league.

If what the team does contributes to who gets the award, then Bale would get it over Suarez since Spurs have done better than Liverpool this season.

I believe Bale comes in second in terms of winning his team points as well, after RVP. He's been just as instrumental in Tottenham's run and he did singlehandedly carry Tottenham himself for a while when he took the center spot until his injury. Add that to the fact that Tottenham have lost the likes of King, VDV, and Modric and you can see the impact he's had on the offense of Tottenham.

He's got as much of a case as Suarez and RVP do really, although I personally think RVP should win it.

Zealous wrote:

EL Patron wrote:

Zealous wrote:Bale is the overwhelming favourite.

I aggree, RVP went of the boil while all the professionals think Suarez is a bit of twat which is actually true so guess he is favourite.

Not just that, there is an argument that Bale has been better.

Not really, Bale's sick form lasted for 2 months aside before that it was just good and he wasn't really making the difference till January.

Suarez i can accept although he was never clutch or making the difference in victories as much as RVP did.

Although i will accept both Bale and Suarez are more entertaining so maybe thats why people are voting them instead of RVP because if it was based on clutch factor and winning games for your team he would be walking it