Injury robs Sam Kerr a shot at winning a third successive PFA women’s player of the year award

Seven Matildas have been nominated for the PFA women’s player of the year award, but one superstar isn’t among them.

Injured Matildas star Sam Kerr is the notable omission from this year’s PFA Footballer of the Year nominees.

The Chelsea striker, who has won the women’s award for past two years and six times overall, hasn’t played since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee in January.

Seven Matildas – goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold, defenders Steph Catley, Ellie Carpenter and Clare Hunt, playmaker Mary Fowler and attackers Caitlin Foord and Michelle Heyman – have been nominated for this year’s women’s gong.

Socceroos captain Mat Ryan is among the eight nominees for the men’s award.

He’s joined by Socceroos teammates Jackson Irvine, Cam Burgess, Josh Nisbet and Adam Taggart, Central Coast Mariners defender Brian Kaltak, Ipswich Town midfielder Massimo Luongo and German playmaker Tolgay Arslan, who starred for Melbourne City in the 2023-24 A-League season.

Socceroos captain Mat Ryan is among the PFA men’s player of the year nominees. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Former Adelaide United prodigy Nestory Irankunda is among the nominees for the Harry Kewell Medal, which is awarded to the PFA’s young men’s player of the year.

Also in the running for the Harry Kewell Medal are Irankunda’s Socceroos teammates Jordan Bos and Alessandro Circati, former Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Alex Paulsen, and Jacob Farrell and Max Balard, who were both part of the Mariners’ treble-winning squad last season.

Nominees for the young women’s player of the year are Fowler, Kyra Cooney-Cross, Indiana Dos-Santos, Daniela Galic, Charlotte Grant, Kaitlyn Torpey and Peta Trimis

The winners, who will be announced in September, will be selected via a PFA member vote.

PFA co-chief executive officer Kathryn Gill said: “Australia’s footballers continue to inspire with their performances on the international, continental, and domestic stages.

“In the past year, our Matildas achieved Australia’s highest-ever FIFA World Cup finish, while a fresh and exciting generation is emerging during a new era for the Socceroos.

“In the A-Leagues, the consistent display of talent from players like Adam Taggart, Josh Nisbet, Daniela Galic, and Michelle Heyman has ensured that fans of Australian football enjoy high-quality and entertaining matches in our domestic leagues, and players enjoy a crucial platform into our national teams.

“Overseas, a number of the nominees played pivotal roles in promoting their clubs into the top tiers of European leagues, won silverware and achieved personal success at the highest levels of club football.“