Southampton Football Club is an English association football club based in Southampton, Hampshire. Founded in 1885 as St Mary's YMA, they became a professional club in 1891, and co-founded the Southern League in 1894. Southampton won the Southern League championship six times between 1896 and 1904, and were later elected to the Football League in 1920 as co-founders of the Third Division. The Saints finished as runners-up in their first season, and the following year received promotion to the Second Division as Third Division South champions. The club first entered the First Division in 1966, and currently play in its modern-day counterpart, the Premier League. Southampton won the FA Cup in 1976, reached the final of the League Cup in 1979 and 2017, and won the League Trophy in 2010.
The Southampton Player of the Season award is voted for annually by the club's supporters, who send their choice of player to the Southern Daily Echo, a local newspaper. Since its inception in 1973, 44 different players have won the award. Six of these players have received the accolade for a second time, and to date only Matt Le Tissier has won the award for a third time. Four players have won in consecutive seasons, 32 winners have represented their country at international level, and one winner (Alan Ball) has gone on to become the club's manager. The most recent winner of the award, for the 2025–26 season, is defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
In recent years, the club has also presented its own Player of the Season award, alongside other end-of-season accolades. The most recent winner of the club-run Fans' Player of the Season award is Léo Scienza.
Table key
¤Denotes divisional change due to promotion or relegation*Denotes player who is currently playing for the club†Denotes player who has won full international caps
Div 1First Division (1973–1992), Premier League (1992–)Div 2Second Division (1973–1992), First Division (1992–2004), Championship (2004–)Div 3Third Division (1973–1992), Second Division (1992–2004), League One (2004–)
Winners
Southern Daily Echo award SeasonLevelPlayerPositionNationalityAppsGoalsCapsNotes1973–74Div 16072281974–75Div 2¤13670—1975–76Div 22824401976–77Div 234927—1977–78Div 2234131978–79Div 1¤2181101979–80Div 116261—1980–81Div 119741981–82Div 18042—1982–83Div 122211—1983–84Div 127271—1984–85Div 12420—1985–86Div 1 (2)24201986–87Div 1358390—1987–88Div 1784—1988–89Div 12721401989–90Div 1540210—1990–91Div 115843—1991–92Div 12510—1992–93Div 1 (2)25101993–94Div 1 (2)5402101994–95Div 1 (3)5402101995–96Div 11050—1996–97Div 110933—1997–98Div 12230—1998–99Div 123576—1999–2000Div 179702000–01Div 11742—2001–02Div 115280—2002–03Div 1 (2)235762003–04Div 11230—2004–05Div 13316—2005–06Div 2¤4132—2006–07Div 2793—2007–08Div 225002008–09Div 230100—2009–10Div 3¤235117—2010–11Div 328815—2011–12Div 2¤ (2)2351172012–13Div 1¤26115—2013–14Div 128360—2014–15Div 1 (2)288152015–16Div 124536—2016–17Div 1263902017–18Div 11650—2018–19Div 123230—2019–20Div 110046—2020–21Div 141055—2021–22Div 1 (2)410552022–23Div 1341—2023–24Div 2¤*109602024–25Div 1¤464—2025–26Div 2¤*13212—
Southampton F.C. award SeasonLevelPlayerPositionNationalityAppsGoalsCapsNotes2012–13Div 1¤26115—2013–14Div 128360—2014–15Div 128815—2015–16Div 1807—2016–17Div 1263902017–18Div 11650—2018–19Div 123230—2019–20Div 110046—2020–21Div 141055—2021–22Div 1 (2)41055—2022–23Div 1 Not awarded2023–24Div 2¤1744302024–25Div 1¤464—2025–26Div 2¤*4470—
Footnotes
References
Bibliography
External links Southampton F.C. official website