MANCHESTER CITY and England star Lucy Bronze has won the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) women’s player of the year award.

Bronze, who also won the award in 2014, overcame stiff competition from City teammates Jane Ross and Jill Scott. Ellen White, Karen Carney and Caroline Weir were the other players nominated for Sunday night’s senior player award.

Birmingham’s 19-year-old midfielder Jess Carter was chosen by her peers as the women’s young player of the year.

Bronze said: “It’s the best award to be nominated for, really, you can get managers and supporters awards, fans awards, but for the players that you play against week in, week out, to think of you in their head as the best player of the season, to be nominated and put in the team, was unbelievable.

“It’s not really sunk in that I actually won the award, but it’s a huge honour, and I’m so grateful.

On her teammates, Bronze added: “The fact half the [PFA] team is dominated by City players this year is credit to the team, and the fact I’ve won the award is credit to the players around me as well. And she praised the PFA for continuing to promote the women’s game.

“[Women] can see that they are being represented the same as the men are; it makes you stand a little bit taller as a woman.”

Carter said the award was a “massive privilege,” adding: “Hopefully international callups in the future, but if I don’t get them I’ll keep working harder and harder until I do. For now, my focus is with Birmingham.”

Arsenal’s former England international Kelly Smith landed the PFA special achievement award and said: “When I started out playing football as a little girl I never imagined me reaching the heights that I have.

“It’s been a phenomenal journey: lots of highs, lots of lows, but I’ve really enjoyed every moment of it, and I feel very privileged to be here tonight to pick this up.”