Harry Diamond
Manchester City star Sergio Aguero was named as the Premier League Player of the Month for January, the Argentina international having enjoyed a prolific month to be named as the division’s stand-out star.
It was the seventh time that Aguero has won the accolade, but where does he rank amongst the players to have been named as Player of the Month on the most occasions?
Here are the five players to win the most Premier League Player of the Month awards…
Robin van Persie – 5 awards
One of the Premier League’s great goalscorers, Van Persie would win five Player of the Month awards during spells at Arsenal and Manchester United, receiving the honour for the first time in November 2005 during his time in north London.
He would pick up the accolade on two more occasions as a Gunners’ player, most notably in October 2011 on his way to winning the Premier League’s Golden Boot and being named as the PFA Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year.
Following his controversial and high profile move to Old Trafford he would be named as the division’s best in two separate months during a memorable debut campaign for United.
Van Persie would win the honour in both December 2012 and April 2013, the latter month seeing him score six goals including a hat-trick against Aston Villa to seal a record-extending 20th title for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.
Wayne Rooney – 5 awards
The second highest goalscorer in Premier League history, Rooney would score 208 top-flight goals during a memorable career that would take in two spells at boyhood club Everton in addition to a trophy-laden 13-year career at Manchester United.
Rooney would receive each of his five Player of the Month accolades during that spell at Old Trafford, winning a host of major honours including five league titles and the Champions League in addition to becoming the club’s all-time record goalscorer.
The first three of those accolades would come during consecutive seasons in which he was named as the PFA Player Young of the Year, before being awarded a fourth after scoring four times in four appearances during October 2007.
After scoring six times in January 2010, including a four-goal haul against Hull City, he would win the award for a fifth time, later being named as the PFA Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year at the end of the campaign.
Harry Kane – 6 awards
Kane would burst onto the scene during a prolific debut season as a regular in the Spurs first-team, a campaign which would also see him scoop the Premier League’s Player of the Month award in consecutive months during January and February of 2015.
From there the England star has continued to rack up the goals, adding a third monthly award in March 2016 after scoring five goals in four fixtures, before winning three more honours in the space of a calendar year in 2017.
Remarkably, Kane’s six-accolade haul came within a period of less than three years, whilst stranger still he is without a monthly award since being named as the Premier League’s best way back in December 2017.
Steven Gerrard – 6 awards
Only one player in Premier League history has won more monthly accolades than former Liverpool captain Gerrard, the midfielder having been named as the month’s stand-out player on six occasions throughout his illustrious career on Merseyside.
There would be a 13-year span between Gerrard’s first and final Player of the Month awards, whilst he would seemingly hit his best form in March, with four of his six awards coming during the month.
Named in the PFA Team of the Year on a record eight occasions, the former England international would also be named as PFA Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year during his career.
Sergio Aguero – 7 awards
Last month’s victory means that Aguero has now received more Player of the Month awards than any player in Premier League history, a fine recognition for a forward who has been one of the division’s greatest imports.
The Argentinian has scored prolifically during a career that has spanned almost a decade at Manchester City, recently becoming the highest scoring foreign player in Premier League history and moving up to fourth in the overall standings.
A four-time title winner and the club’s all-time record goalscorer, Aguero would be named as the month’s finest player for the first time in October 2013, since going on to add another six to his collection to break yet another record in an extraordinary City career.
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