# Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association Player of the Year

The Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association Player of the Year (often called the NIFWA Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in the NIFL Premiership. It is one of two association football Player of the Year awards in Northern Ireland, with the other being the Ulster Footballer of the Year award.
The award has been presented since the 1969–70 season and the winner is chosen by a vote amongst members of the association. The first winner of the award was Des Dickson of Coleraine. The player to have received the award more than any other is Glenn Ferguson, who has collected the award on three occasions, the last of which was in 2006. Two other players have won the award twice; Ivan Murray was the first in 1975 and Vinny Arkins was the most recent, in 2002.

## List of winners

| Year | Player | Nationality | Club | Also won | Notes | Refs |
| 1969–70 | Des Dickson | Northern Ireland | Coleraine | — | — | — |
| 1970–71 | Bryan Hamilton | Northern Ireland | Linfield | UFY | — | — |
| 1971–72 | Billy Humphries | Northern Ireland | Ards | UFY | — | — |
| 1972–73 | John McPolin | Northern Ireland | Crusaders | — | — | — |
| 1973–74 | Ivan Murray | Northern Ireland | Coleraine | — | — | — |
| 1974–75 | Ivan Murray (2) | Northern Ireland | Coleraine | — | | — |
| 1975–76 | Warren Feeney | Northern Ireland | Glentoran | UFY | — | — |
| 1976–77 | Billy Caskey | Northern Ireland | Glentoran | — | — | — |
| 1977–78 | Jim Martin | Northern Ireland | Linfield | UFY | — | — |
| 1978–79 | Ray McGuigan | Northern Ireland | Glenavon | — | — | — |
| 1979–80 | Lindsay McKeown | Northern Ireland | Linfield | UFY | — | — |
| 1980–81 | Gary Blackledge | Northern Ireland | Glentoran | — | — | — |
| 1981–82 | Felix Healy | Northern Ireland | Coleraine | UFY | — | — |
| 1982–83 | George Dunlop | Northern Ireland | Linfield | — | — | — |
| 1983–84 | Billy Murray | Northern Ireland | Linfield | — | — | — |
| 1984–85 | Martin McGaughey | Northern Ireland | Linfield | UFY | — | — |
| 1985–86 | Trevor Anderson | Northern Ireland | Linfield | — | — | — |
| 1986–87 | Damien Byrne | Republic of Ireland | Ards | — | — | — |
| 1987–88 | Alan Paterson | Northern Ireland | Glentoran | UFY | — | — |
| 1988–89 | Marty Magee | Northern Ireland | Portadown | — | — | — |
| 1989–90 | Ollie Ralph | Republic of Ireland | Newry Town | UFY | — | — |
| 1990–91 | Stephen McBride | Northern Ireland | Glenavon | UFY | — | — |
| 1991–92 | Raymond Morrison | Northern Ireland | Glentoran | UFY | — | — |
| 1992–93 | Paul Byrne | Republic of Ireland | Bangor | — | — | — |
| 1993–94 | Noel Bailie | Northern Ireland | Linfield | UFY | — | — |
| 1994–95 | Kevin McKeown | Scotland | Crusaders | UFY | — | — |
| 1995–96 | Peter Kennedy | Northern Ireland | Portadown | UFY | — | — |
| 1996–97 | Stephen Baxter | Northern Ireland | Crusaders | UFY | — | — |
| 1997–98 | Marty Tabb | Northern Ireland | Cliftonville | UFY | — | — |
| 1998–99 | John Devine | Northern Ireland | Glentoran | UFY | — | — |
| 1999–00 | Vinny Arkins | Republic of Ireland | Portadown | UFY | — | — |
| 2000–01 | Glenn Ferguson | Northern Ireland | Linfield | UFY | — | |
| 2001–02 | Vinny Arkins (2) | Republic of Ireland | Portadown | — | | |
| 2002–03 | Gary Smyth | Northern Ireland | Glentoran | UFY | — | |
| 2003–04 | Glenn Ferguson (2) | Northern Ireland | Linfield | UFY | — | |
| 2004–05 | Mark Glendinning | Northern Ireland | Glentoran | — | — | |
| 2005–06 | Glenn Ferguson (3) | Northern Ireland | Linfield | UFY | | |
| 2006–07 | William Murphy | Northern Ireland | Linfield | UFY | — | |
| 2007–08 | Michael Gault | Northern Ireland | Linfield | — | — | |
| 2008–09 | Chris Scannell | Northern Ireland | Cliftonville | UFY | — | |
| 2009–10 | Rory Patterson | Northern Ireland | Coleraine | UFY | — | |
| 2010–11 | Stuart Dallas | Northern Ireland | Crusaders | | — | |
| 2011–12 | Chris Morrow | Northern Ireland | Crusaders | | — | |
| 2012–13 | Liam Boyce | Northern Ireland | Cliftonville | UFY | — | |
| 2013–14 | Joe Gormley | Northern Ireland | Cliftonville | UFY | — | |
| 2014–15 | Paul Heatley | Northern Ireland | Crusaders | UFY | — | |
| 2015–16 | Billy Joe Burns | Northern Ireland | Crusaders | UFY | — | |
| 2016–17 | Jamie Mulgrew | Northern Ireland | Linfield | UFY | — | |
| 2017–18 | Gavin Whyte | Northern Ireland | Crusaders | UFY | — | |
| 2018–19 | Jimmy Callacher | Northern Ireland | Linfield | UFY | — | — |
| 2019–20 | Joel Cooper | Northern Ireland | Linfield | | — | |
| 2020–21 | Shayne Lavery | Northern Ireland | Linfield | UFY | — | |
| 2021–22 | Chris Shields | Republic of Ireland | Linfield | UFY | — | |
| 2022–23 | Leroy Millar | Northern Ireland | Larne | UFY | — | |
| 2023–24 | Kyle McClean | Northern Ireland | Linfield | UFY | — | |

### Wins by player (multiple)

| Player | Total | Years |
| Glenn Ferguson | 3 | 2001, 2004, 2006 |
| Ivan Murray | 2 | 1974, 1975 |
| Vinny Arkins | 2 | 2000, 2002 |

### Wins by country

| Club | Players | Total |
| Northern Ireland | 43 | 47 |
| Republic of Ireland | 5 | 6 |
| Scotland | 1 | 1 |

### Wins by club

| Club | Players | Total |
| Linfield | 16 | 18 |
| Crusaders | 8 | 8 |
| Glentoran | 8 | 8 |
| Coleraine | 4 | 5 |
| Cliftonville | 4 | 4 |
| Portadown | 3 | 4 |
| Ards | 2 | 2 |
| Glenavon | 2 | 2 |
| Bangor | 1 | 1 |
| Larne | 1 | 1 |
| Newry Town | 1 | 1 |