UNITED TRIO TOP AWARDS SHORTLIST
Barclays Premiership leaders Manchester United dominate the nominations for the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award, with man of the moment Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes all making the six-man shortlist.
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, the 2006 winner, complete the contenders for the prestigious award, which will be presented on April 22.
Portuguese winger Ronaldo, 22, and Fabregas, 19, are also in the hunt for the PFA's Young Player of the Year award.
Manchester United and England forward Wayne Rooney, 21, will be looking for a hat-trick, having won the accolade in both 2005 and 2006.
Reading striker Kevin Doyle, 23, Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon, 19, and 18-year-old defender Micah Richards, of Manchester City, who won his first England caps this season, are the other nominees.
Ronaldo will have come full circle if he is crowned at a gala dinner in London on Sunday night.
The brilliant 22-year-old Portugal winger has been in stunning form for Manchester United this season, and was rewarded with a new, five-year contract to finally quash rumours of a multi-million pound move to Spain.
Ronaldo, however, had faced an uncertain future following the adverse publicity he received for his part in England's World Cup demise during the summer.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson spoke to the midfielder personally about the situation, and has since praised the talented young man for having "the nerve to handle it", letting his superb football do the talking and drown out the jeers in what has become a potent attacking partnership with, ironically, England striker Wayne Rooney.
Ronaldo took his goals tally to 21 following a strike in the FA Cup semi-final win over Watford and last week's double in the Champions League rout of AS Roma at Old Trafford.
And on current form, there seems little anyone can do to stop him.
PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor hailed Ronaldo as "the "most exciting player in the country".
He said: "This season was a big test for him, both of his temperament and his ability to rise above the abuse he received after the incident with Wayne Rooney at the World Cup - and he has passed with flying colours in every department.
"I was not sure after the World Cup if things would get back to normal at Old Trafford, but Cristiano has shown great maturity and proved himself to be a top, top player.
"All credit to Sir Alex Ferguson for resolving what was a difficult situation. All credit to Cristiano too because he has developed from a player who perhaps used to run down too many closed avenues in his early days at United, to a wonderful entertainer whose tricks and skills are much more constructive, and productive, these days.
"He is much more of a team player now and, as is the test of all great forwards, he knows how to find the back of the net.
"He has still got all the tricks and, if he was to perform them on the stage at the London Palladium, you would have to stand up and applaud.
"For him to be able to perform them on a football field, at full speed with everything going on around him, makes it all the more remarkable and it is great that Sir Alex continues to encourage him to do so, whereas at some clubs he might have been told to 'keep it simple'."
Rooney, 21, will be looking for a hat-trick of Young Player awards, having won the accolade in both 2005 and 2006.
Taylor said: "Wayne is willing to have a go in whatever position he is asked to play, and will come through.
"Because he is such an awesome talent it is not automatic that he will play well in every game, and it is wrong for people to expect him to score hat-tricks every time. Football does not work like that. More
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, the 2006 winner, complete the contenders for the prestigious award, which will be presented on April 22.
Portuguese winger Ronaldo, 22, and Fabregas, 19, are also in the hunt for the PFA's Young Player of the Year award.
Manchester United and England forward Wayne Rooney, 21, will be looking for a hat-trick, having won the accolade in both 2005 and 2006.
Reading striker Kevin Doyle, 23, Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon, 19, and 18-year-old defender Micah Richards, of Manchester City, who won his first England caps this season, are the other nominees.
Ronaldo will have come full circle if he is crowned at a gala dinner in London on Sunday night.
The brilliant 22-year-old Portugal winger has been in stunning form for Manchester United this season, and was rewarded with a new, five-year contract to finally quash rumours of a multi-million pound move to Spain.
Ronaldo, however, had faced an uncertain future following the adverse publicity he received for his part in England's World Cup demise during the summer.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson spoke to the midfielder personally about the situation, and has since praised the talented young man for having "the nerve to handle it", letting his superb football do the talking and drown out the jeers in what has become a potent attacking partnership with, ironically, England striker Wayne Rooney.
Ronaldo took his goals tally to 21 following a strike in the FA Cup semi-final win over Watford and last week's double in the Champions League rout of AS Roma at Old Trafford.
And on current form, there seems little anyone can do to stop him.
PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor hailed Ronaldo as "the "most exciting player in the country".
He said: "This season was a big test for him, both of his temperament and his ability to rise above the abuse he received after the incident with Wayne Rooney at the World Cup - and he has passed with flying colours in every department.
"I was not sure after the World Cup if things would get back to normal at Old Trafford, but Cristiano has shown great maturity and proved himself to be a top, top player.
"All credit to Sir Alex Ferguson for resolving what was a difficult situation. All credit to Cristiano too because he has developed from a player who perhaps used to run down too many closed avenues in his early days at United, to a wonderful entertainer whose tricks and skills are much more constructive, and productive, these days.
"He is much more of a team player now and, as is the test of all great forwards, he knows how to find the back of the net.
"He has still got all the tricks and, if he was to perform them on the stage at the London Palladium, you would have to stand up and applaud.
"For him to be able to perform them on a football field, at full speed with everything going on around him, makes it all the more remarkable and it is great that Sir Alex continues to encourage him to do so, whereas at some clubs he might have been told to 'keep it simple'."
Rooney, 21, will be looking for a hat-trick of Young Player awards, having won the accolade in both 2005 and 2006.
Taylor said: "Wayne is willing to have a go in whatever position he is asked to play, and will come through.
"Because he is such an awesome talent it is not automatic that he will play well in every game, and it is wrong for people to expect him to score hat-tricks every time. Football does not work like that. More
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