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The Chelsea FC post-season awards ceremony took place Tuesday and the lads, and ladies, came out dressed to the nines. The Blues secured a domestic double this season by winning the League Cup and Premier League in Jose Mourinho’s second year in charge of the club.
After such a successful season, it was time to dole out the awards for the players of the year from the different aspects of the club, ranging of the Chelsea Ladies to the Chelsea Academy. Some of the goals were voted on by the fans and others were chosen by the club. Some of the awards come as no surprise and others…well they were no real surprise either.
Here are the awards and the players who won them:
Next: Goal of the Season
Oscar Goal ~ Chelsea 1-0 QPR ~ 01 11 2014…
byChelsea FC Goal Of The Season: Oscar vs. Queens Park Rangers
Oscar was given the award for Goal of the Season for the sumptuous strike shown in the video above. The goal came against QPR in November and it was one of those goals that must be viewed on replay and in slow motion to be truly appreciated.
The goal, as so many did this season, came at the end of a Cesc Fabregas assist. Fabregas played a wonderful one-two with Diego Costa, who showed some excellent hold-up play there, and found Oscar streaking in to the box from the right side.
As he laid it off for Oscar, the expectation was for Oscar to either drive it low to the far post with his right boot or to smash it with his left at the near post. Instead, he hit with the outside of his right boot and somehow it curved and smashed in to side netting at the far post. It looked ordinary at first but upon further review it was an audacious effort from an immensely talented player.
Andre Schurrle’s goal against Burnley in the season opener was the much better “team” goal and it was a display of beautiful football but you can’t really give the award to a player you sold in January can you?
Next: Academy Player of the Year
By CFC Unofficial (Debs) (Chelsea 6 Maribor 0 Champions League) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsChelsea FC Academy Player of the Year: Dominic Solanke
This award was not much of a surprise either as Chelsea youngster Dominic Solanke has had a tremendous season for the Chelsea Academy. He has an absolutely absurd 41 goals in 39 appearances for the U18s, U19s, and U21s combined just a year after having 28 goals in 20 appearances for the same three age groups.
Solanke is just 17 years old but has already made a first team appearance for Chelsea as a substitute in the Champions League. He has won a host of trophies for the Chelsea academy including the 2014 and 2015 FA Youth Cups as well as the 2014-15 UEFA Youth League.
He is a young man with incredible potential and perhaps if he was a year or two older he could be sent out on loan next season. As for now he may have to settle for abusing players on the pitch that are only 3-4 years older than him rather than fully grown men.
Next: Young Player Of The Season
Credit: CFC Unofficial https://www.flickr.com/photos/cfcunofficial/16324703959/
Chelsea FC Young Player of the Year: Kurt Zouma
Who else was worthy of this award other than young Kurt Zouma? Well perhaps the award could have gone to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois but considering Zouma is a full three years younger than the Belgian then he edges out the award. It is also hard to be considered a “young player” when you have been a champion as many times as Courtois has in his short career.
Zouma was a surprise player this season as he showed ability and maturity far beyond his years. Many expected him to be the third centerback in the rotation behind Branislav Ivanovic but he staked his claim as a worthy number three and even a starter when Gary Cahill suffered a drop in form.
He also showed off some versatility with a few appearances in central midfield when Nemanja Matic was suspended and John Obi Mikel was out injured. Zouma is one of the best young defenders in Europe and the Blues are lucky to have him. At just 20 years old, the young Frenchman could be a Chelsea stalwart for the next decade or more.
Next: Women's Player Of The Year
By James Boyes (Flickr: England Ladies v Montenegro 5 4 2014 327) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsChelsea FC Women’s Player of the Year: Eniola Aluko
Eniola Aluko was selected as the Chelsea FC Women’s Player of the Year for her exploits with the Chelsea Ladies FC. She has featured for the Chelsea Ladies twice in her career and is in her second stint with the club which began in 2012.
Aluko, sister of Hull City midfielder Sone Aluko, has 11 goals in 28 appearances for the Chelsea Ladies and is one of the team’s premier players. Though she was eligible to play for Nigeria as well, Aluko chose to play for England and was recently selected to the squad for the Women’s World Cup in Canada this summer.
She is a fantastic ambassador of the game and of the club as whole and she will do her best to keep the Blue flag flying high when she features for England this summer.
Next: Player of the Year
Credit: CFC Unofficial https://www.flickr.com/photos/cfcunofficial/17161528607/
Chelsea FC Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year: Eden Hazard
This is a two for one special as Eden Hazard was chosen as the Players’ Player of the Year as well as the Player of the Year for the 2014-15 season. There was some surprise as John Terry was considered the favorite for the Players’ Player of the Year award for his outstanding play and leadership but Hazard was by far the best player in the squad.
These awards from the club added to his already fantastic trophy haul this season as he also took home the PFA, Football Writers and Barclays Player of the Year awards. Eden Hazard is a true superstar and is arguably the best player in the Premier League. In his three years at the club, Eden has won the Europa League, Premier League, and League Cup but he still has his eyes on the big prize of the UEFA Champions League.
Jose Mourinho called him one of the best 3-4 players in the world and after this season it is hard to argue against that. Add a bit of selfishness in front of goal to this already immensely talented player and you have yourself a footballer who can truly do it all on the pitch.
Next: The Heartbeat of Chelsea FC