Palmer is the first Chelsea player to receive the recognition since Ashley Cole in 2010. Frank Lampard also won the award while at the Blues.

Arsenal’s Saka was named men’s player of the year in the past two seasons, while Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham are also past winners.

Past winners:

2023-24 – Cole Palmer (Chelsea)

2022-23 – Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

2021-22 – Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

2020-21 – Kalvin Phillips (Leeds)

2019 – Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)

2018 – Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)

2017 – Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)

2016 – Adam Lallana (Liverpool)

2015 – Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

2014 – Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

2012 – Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

2011 – Scott Parker (Tottenham Hotspur)

2010 – Ashley Cole (Chelsea)

2009 – Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

2008 – Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

2007 – Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

2006 – Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich)

2005 – Frank Lampard (Chelsea)

2004 – Frank Lampard (Chelsea)

2003 – David Beckham (Manchester United)

Northern Ireland have called Mansfield Town goalkeeper Christy Pym into their squad for the upcoming Nations League games against Belarus and Bulgaria.

The 29-year-old has not played for his country before, but trained with his new team-mates on Tuesday after regular keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell withdrew from the squad on Monday with a shoulder problem.

With Plymouth Argyle’s Conor Hazard already absent through injury, manager Michael O’Neill was left with just two goalkeepers in his squad, Bolton Wanderers’ Luke Southwood and Pierce Charles of Sheffield Wednesday.

Pym, who has featured regularly for Mansfield in League One this season, was born in Exeter and previously played in a friendly for England Under-20s but qualifies for Northern Ireland through a Belfast-born grandmother.

Northern Ireland face Belarus in Hungary on Saturday evening before returning to Belfast to take on Bulgaria at Windsor Park.

They began their Nations League campaign with a home win over Luxembourg last month but were then beaten by Bulgaria in Plovdiv.

Manchester City’s Jack Grealish believes he should have been part of England’s Euro 2024 squad and “can’t speak highly enough” of interim manager Lee Carsley.

Grealish, 29, was “devastated” after being omitted from Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad for the tournament, in which England lost to Spain in the final.

However, Carsley has started the City playmaker in both games he has overseen since replacing Southgate on a temporary basis.

“I will be honest with you – I didn’t really agree with it,” Grealish told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Grealish admitted he felt he “didn’t have the best season” for his club, but added: “You need a bit of a balance in every position on the pitch and I class myself [as] quite an experienced player now.

“I have won a lot of stuff now so, you asked me should I have gone, yes, I still think I should have, but obviously it wasn’t meant to be.”

On whether he felt he had a point to prove on his return to the England squad for September’s internationals, he said: “Of course, I wanted to come here and train well and play well.

“I thank the manager Lee Carsley for giving me that chance and having that trust in me.

“It obviously really meant a lot, I think throughout my career when I have played under managers who have shown trust in me and communicated with me the way he has the last two camps, it really helps me.

“It makes me feel that the manager really does rate me and I can’t speak highly enough of him since I have been here.”

England recorded 2-0 victories over the Republic of Ireland and Finland in the first games under Carsley last month, with Grealish scoring against the former.

A British record £100m signing when he joined City from Aston Villa in August 2021, Grealish will again hope to be in the starting line-up when England host Greece on Thursday, before taking on Finland on Sunday.

And while Grealish believes missing out on Euro 2024 was “probably the most difficult period of my life”, he said the birth of his daughter last week was “the best moment of my life”.

In an “unbelievable 24 hours”, Grealish had to leave training and take a train to London on Friday morning to be present for the birth, before flying to Newcastle – arriving after midnight – and starting for City in the Premier League at midday on Saturday.

“I don’t really know how to explain it, you know you feel so many good moments in your life but that just tops everything,” Grealish said.

Ipswich Town defender Axel Tuanzebe is expected to be out for at least a month after sustaining a freak hand injury while doing the washing up.

The 26-year-old DR Congo international sustained a deep cut to his thumb while he was washing the dishes last week.

The former Manchester United and Aston Villa player had started the first six Premier League games of the season for promoted Ipswich before missing Saturday’s 4-1 loss to West Ham.

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna said on Saturday Tuanzebe’s injury was a “very unfortunate accident”.

“He’s naturally a miss with the way he’s started the season. He’s going to be out for a little while,” McKenna said.

Ipswich told BBC Sport the accident had occurred at home and Tuanzebe has had successful surgery.

Ben Johnson replaced Tuanzebe at London Stadium, where defeat left Ipswich still winless after seven league games.

Liverpool have confirmed Sofie Lundgaard suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in Sunday’s Women’s Super League win over Tottenham.

The 22-year-old went down in the first half following a 50-50 challenge with Spurs defender Amanda Nilden.

The Danish midfielder signed a new contract for the Reds in September and had featured in their opening three WSL fixtures, but will now undergo knee surgery.

Reds boss Matt Beard said to the official Liverpool website, external: “We’re all devastated for Sofie.

“We have to rally around her because it’s going to be tough at times during the rehabilitation programme. Sometimes these things happen in football and it can be so cruel.

“This is going to be a test of her character but I’m sure she will come back stronger from it with the support network she has here and the closeness of our group of players and staff.”

Lundgaard has become the third player in the WSL this season to rupture her ACL following injuries to Everton duo Aurora Galli and Inma Gabarro.

Wayne Rooney has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association following his red card in Plymouth Argyle’s 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers.

The Pilgrims’ head coach faces three charges over the incident which came after Joe Rankin-Costello’s 87th-minute equaliser for the visitors. The Pilgrims felt there was a foul on Ryan Hardie in the build-up.

Rooney is accused of using insulting or abusive language towards a match official and that his conduct after he was red-carded was improper and/or violent.

He is also accused of a further improper conduct offence for returning to the field of play after his dismissal.

Argyle won the game thanks to a stoppage-time header from Morgan Whittaker, with Rooney’s assistant Pete Shuttleworth saying the former England captain’s “passion” spilled over in the incident.

Rooney, who has been Argyle boss since May, has until Tuesday, 15 October to respond.