Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling has been hailed as an "inspiration" to young players after being voted the 2019 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association.
The England international topped the poll of the 400-strong FWA membership as a clear winner, with 62 per cent of the votes. He was more than 100 ahead of Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk. Sterling's team-mate Sergio Aguero was in third place.
The FWA Women's Footballer of the Year award for 2019 was Manchester City's England forward Nikita Parris, who won the vote of an FWA panel of experts by the narrowest of margins from Arsenal and Holland striker Vivianne Miedema.
