Chelsea head list of PFA nominees

PFA PLAYER OF THE YEAR The six nominations Joe Cole (Chelsea) Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) Frank Lampard (Chelsea) Thierry Henry (Arsenal) Wayne Rooney (Man United) John Terry (Chelsea)

Premiership leaders Chelsea dominate the nominations for this season's Professional Footballers' Association Footballer of the Year Award.

Last year's winner John Terry is joined on the shortlist by Blues and England team-mates Frank Lampard and Joe Cole.

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney have also been nominated.

Arsenal's Thierry Henry is the only foreigner in the running for the honour which will be awarded on 23 April.

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor is not surprised to see Chelsea skipper Terry, 25, in the runnning again.

"He has been the cornerstone, not just of the Chelsea defence, but the whole foundations on which their success over the last couple of years has been built," said Taylor.

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"John is the one person you would want alongside you in the trenches because he is strong, dependable, reliable and fearless.

"If things are not going well he will come up front and get a goal for you at a corner or free-kick."

PFA YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR The six nominations Darren Bent (Charlton) Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) Anton Ferdinand (West Ham) Aaron Lennon (Tottenham) Cristiano Ronaldo (Man United) Wayne Rooney (Man United)

And Taylor is not surprised to see Rooney up for the honour 12 months after he was named PFA Young Player of the Year.

"Wayne is special and his development under Sir Alex Ferguson has been great to see," he added.

"For a young man he has got such strength and it is all allied to great skill and perception and he is starting to show a lot more maturity too, which I am really pleased about."

Rooney, still only 20, is also named in the Young Player of the Year category along with Old Trafford team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Manchester United duo face competition from Tottenham's Aaron Lennon, West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand, Charlton and England striker Darren Bent and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

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Previous PFA Players of the Year:

1996: Les Ferdinand (Newcastle)
1997: Alan Shearer (Newcastle)
1998: Dennis Bergkamp (Arsenal)
1999: David Ginola (Tottenham)
2000: Roy Keane (Manchester Utd)
2001: Teddy Sheringham (Manchester Utd)
2002: Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Manchester Utd)
2003: Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
2004: Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
2005: John Terry (Chelsea)

Previous Young Players of the Year:

1996: Robbie Fowler (Liverpool)
1997: David Beckham (Manchester Utd)
1998: Michael Owen (Liverpool)
1999: Nicolas Anelka (Arsenal)
2000: Harry Kewell (Leeds Utd)
2001: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
2002: Craig Bellamy (Newcastle Utd)
2003: Jermaine Jenas (Newcastle Utd)
2004: Scott Parker (Chelsea)
2005: Wayne Rooney (Manchester Utd)