Past winners
- 1948:
Stanley Matthews (Blackpool) - 1949:
Johnny Carey (Manchester United) - 1950: Joe Mercer (Arsenal)
- 1951: Harry Johnston (Blackpool)
- 1952: Billy Wright (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
- 1953: Nat Lofthouse (Bolton Wanderers)
- 1954: Tom Finney (Preston North End)
- 1955: Don Revie (Manchester City)
- 1956:
Bert Trautmann (Manchester City) - 1957: Tom Finney (Preston North End)
- 1958:
Danny Blanchflower (Tottenham Hotspur) - 1959: Syd Owen (Luton Town)
- 1960: Bill Slater (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
- 1961: Danny Blanchflower (Tottenham Hotspur)
- 1962: Jimmy Adamson (Burnley)
- 1963: Stanley Matthews (Stoke City)
- 1964: Bobby Moore (West Ham United)
- 1965:
Bobby Collins (Leeds United) - 1966: Bobby Charlton (Manchester United)
- 1967: Jack Charlton (Leeds United)
- 1968: George Best (Manchester United)
- 1969: Tony Book (Manchester City)/Dave Mackay (Derby County)
- 1970: Billy Bremner (Leeds United )
- 1971: Frank McLintock (Arsenal)
- 1972: Gordon Banks (Stoke City )
- 1973: Pat Jennings (Tottenham Hotspur)
- 1974: Ian Callaghan (Liverpool)
- 1975: Alan Mullery (Fulham)
- 1976: Kevin Keegan (Liverpool)
- 1977: Emlyn Hughes (Liverpool)
- 1978: Kenny Burns (Nottingham Forest)
- 1979: Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool)
- 1980: Terry McDermott (Liverpool)
- 1981:
Frans Thijssen (Ipswich Town) - 1982: Steve Perryman (Tottenham Hotspur)
- 1983: Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool)
- 1984:
Ian Rush (Liverpool) - 1985: Neville Southall (Everton)
- 1986: Gary Lineker (Everton)
- 1987: Clive Allen (Tottenham Hotspur)
- 1988: John Barnes (Liverpool)
- 1989: Steve Nicol (Liverpool)
- 1990: John Barnes (Liverpool)
- 1991: Gordon Strachan (Leeds United)
- 1992: Gary Lineker (Tottenham Hotspur)
- 1993: Chris Waddle (Sheffield Wednesday)
- 1994: Alan Shearer (Blackburn)
- 1995: Jürgen Klinsmann (Tottenham Hotspur)
- 1996:
Eric Cantona (Manchester United) - 1997:
Gianfranco Zola (Chelsea) - 1998: Dennis Bergkamp (Arsenal)
- 1999: David Ginola (Tottenham Hotspur)
- 2000: Roy Keane (Manchester United)
- 2001: Teddy Sheringham (Manchester United)
- 2002: Robert Pirès (Arsenal)
- 2003: Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
- 2004: Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
- 2005: Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
- 2006: Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
