Voted for by our expert pundits, dedicated team of journalists, and specialist football programme makers, these awards celebrate the players who starred in the Premier League, Women's Super League, Scottish Premiership and EFL in 2025-26.
Galbraith gets summer call despite season-ending injurypublished at 09:57 BST 28 May
09:57 BST 28 May
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Swansea City midfielder Ethan Galbraith has been included in Northern Ireland's squad for friendlies with Guinea and France next month - despite not playing since the friendly draw with Wales on 31 March.
The 24-year-old played 80 minutes in Cardiff, but returned to Swansea complaining of a calf issue and missed the final seven matches of the Championship campaign.
Until that point the midfielder or right-back had enjoyed a fine debut year in south Wales and, having seen Galbraith's season come to a premature end, Swansea boss Vitor Matos had hoped one of his outstanding performers would have a chance to rest this summer.
"I think it doesn't make sense for [Galbraith to play in] the international break, but I leave that for the medical team and the medical team of the national team as well," Matos said in April.
"I think it's the best regarding the situation of the injury, but then it's something that they need to speak about and everyone decides what's the best in that case."
With Northern Ireland - like Wales - missing out on this summer's World Cup finals, Michael O'Neill's side face Guinea in Spain on Saturday, 4 June and take on France in Lille the following Monday.
Matos will also be monitoring several other members of his squad on international duty over the coming weeks.
South Korea winger Eom Jisung and New Zealand's Mark Stamenic both face busy summers having been named in their countries' World Cup squads.
And they could also be joined at this summer's tournament by Australia centre-back Cameron Burgess and defender Ricardo Santos if he is called up by Cape Verde.
Pre-season fitness boost for Swansea's Widell published at 17:00 BST 27 May
17:00 BST 27 May
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Swansea City have been boosted by news that Melker Widell will be fit for pre-season despite suffering an ankle ligament injury in their final game of the 2025-26 campaign.
Sweden international Widell was on crutches after a heavy challenge from Conor Coventry forced him off during Swansea's win over Charlton Athletic on 2 May.
Though scans showed Widell suffered some ligament damage, Swansea expect him to be fully fit when Vitor Matos' squad begin preparations for the 2026-27 Championship season in early July.
Widell made 43 appearances last season, his first in English football, and became increasingly influential as the campaign wore on.
Wembley hero De Guzman retires aged 38published at 13:36 BST 19 May
13:36 BST 19 May
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Jonathan de Guzman, who scored two Wembley goals to help Swansea City win their one major trophy, is retiring from football at the age of 38.
Netherlands international De Guzman enjoyed two successful season-long loan spells at Swansea, in 2012-13 and 2013-14.
The midfielder played 93 times for Swansea, scoring 12 times, after being brought to Wales by Michael Laudrup.
His most famous goals came in Swansea's 5-0 League Cup final win over Bradford City in February 2013.
De Guzman also scored in the win at Liverpool during that cup run, and in Swansea's famous 3-0 Europa League triumph in Valencia the following season.
After leaving Swansea, he had spells in Italy, Germany and Greece before moving to Sparta Rotterdam, where he played his final Eredivisie game over the weekend.
Eom is second Swan confirmed for World Cup published at 11:23 BST 18 May
11:23 BST 18 May
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Swansea City have the second of what could be as many as four representatives at this summer's World Cup confirmed after Eom Jisung was named in the South Korea squad.
Winger Eom, 23, is part of a 26-man group which also includes the likes of former Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min, Paris St-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in and Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae.
South Korea start their World Cup campaign against the Czech Republic on 12 June and then face co-hosts Mexico seven days later, before finishing Group A with a game against South Africa on 25 June.
Eom, who has made 88 appearances in two seasons at Swansea, will join club-mate Mark Stamenic at the World Cup after he was named in the New Zealand squad.
Swansea centre-back Cameron Burgess is expected to be included in the Australia squad, while there have been suggestions that fellow defender Ricardo Santos could be called up by Cape Verde despite the fact that he managed only one club appearance in 2025-26.
Swans 'have to be optimistic' over prospectspublished at 13:24 BST 14 May
13:24 BST 14 May
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Kristian O'Leary reckons Swansea City can look ahead with optimism after the club's latest mid-table Championship finish.
Swansea ended the 2025-26 campaign in 11th after a significant upturn in form under Vitor Matos, who took charge amid relegation concerns last November.
It was a second successive 11th-place finish for the Welsh side, and their fifth in a row in mid-table since the 2021 play-off final loss to Brentford under Steve Cooper.
First-team coach O'Leary believes the club are well placed to progress heading into 2026-27.
"I think a lot of things have gone on over the last two or three years," the Swansea stalwart said.
"[There are] new owners who are very invested in the club - you could see that off the pitch last summer – and the manager has been brilliant.
"He's got charisma, he's got personality, which is something Swansea managers that have been successful have.
"He's got a way about him which is suited to the club, so I think we have to be optimistic."
Swansea were 20th in the table when Matos took over following the sacking of Alan Sheehan.
Relegation worries mounted after the Portuguese lost his first two games at the helm, but Swansea then found form – particularly on their own patch – to pull well clear of the bottom three.
They ended the campaign nine points adrift of sixth place and 17 clear of the drop zone.
Stamenic named in New Zealand's World Cup squad published at 12:03 BST 14 May
12:03 BST 14 May
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Swansea City midfielder Marko Stamenic will head to the World Cup next month after being named in New Zealand's squad for the tournament.
Stamenic, 24, is one of eight players who play club football in the English leagues included in the All Whites' 26-man party.
Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood is the most well-known of those players, with Braintree Town defender Tommy Smith and Wrexham's Liberato Cacace among others who have received the call.
New Zealand, who have qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 16 years, will face Belgium, Egypt and Iran in the group stage of the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July.
New Zealand will meet Haiti and England in warm-up friendlies in early June.
Stamenic impressed at Swansea in 2025-26, his first year at the club following a move from Forest.
Hard act to follow after Swans' goalkeeping successespublished at 12:51 BST 12 May
12:51 BST 12 May
Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency
The recent successes of Swansea City goalkeepers suggests Martyn Margetson's successor may have a hard act to follow.
Margetson has said farewell to Swansea for a second time, ending a three-year spell as the Championship club's head of goalkeeping after a previous two-season stint in a similar role between 2019 and 2021.
Across Margetson's five campaigns at Swansea, their various frontline keepers have thrived.
During Margetson's first spell with the Swans, Freddie Woodman was first-choice keeper across his two season-long loans from Newcastle United.
Steve Cooper's Swansea reached the play-offs in each of those campaigns, with Woodman winning the Championship's golden glove award in 2020-21 thanks to 20 league clean sheets.
After Margetson departed alongside Cooper in 2021, first-team goalkeeping duties were shared between Steven Benda, Ben Hamer and Andy Fisher in 2021-22.
In the following campaign, Fisher played 27 games and Benda 23, before the return of Margetson as part of Michael Duff's new-look management team in 2023 coincided with the return of more stability in the Swansea goal.
Carl Rushworth arrived on a year-long loan from Brighton and cleaned up at Swansea's end-of-season awards the following spring.
Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency
When Rushworth departed in 2024, Swansea turned to Lawrence Vigouroux – who then boss Luke Williams had worked with at Leyton Orient – and he has been one of their most consistent performers over the last two seasons.
In a farewell message posted on social media,, external Margetson said the decision to "step down" from his role was right for him and his family.
"There have been some special moments along the way," Margetson wrote.
"Seeing Freddie Woodman win the Championship golden glove was a huge achievement for him, his family and the club.
"Carl Rushworth's development into the club's player of the season was another proud moment for him, his family and the club.
"Lawrence Vigouroux has been excellent for the two seasons he's had so far at Swansea City and is now an established Chile international, something everybody at the club should be proud of."
Swansea are yet to announce who will succeed Margetson as their first-team goalkeeping coach.
Stalwart Hosford ends long Swansea spellpublished at 16:13 BST 8 May
16:13 BST 8 May
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Swansea City Women stalwart Katy Hosford is to leave the club this summer.
Hosford, 28, made her Swans debut in 2013 having come through the club's development centres.
The midfielder or forward won four Welsh top-flight titles, two Welsh Cups and an Adran Trophy during her time at Swansea and was named captain as the team went semi-professional in 2023.
However, Hosford says she has decided to depart having missed the 2025-26 campaign due to the arrival of her baby, George.
"This has been a difficult decision for me to make and it is one I make with a heavy heart," said Hosford.
"But I feel it is the right time for me to leave and to focus on spending time with my family.
"I have been so incredibly proud to play for Swansea City, and to see the amazing strides the team and women's football as a whole has made over the 13 years since my debut.
"We have come such a long way and I hope we are creating a legacy that can ensure that growth continues in the years to come."
Swansea Women head coach Yzzy Taylor called Hosford one of the "most influential figures" in the club's history.
"Her longevity and success underline what an important and inspirational person she has been for young footballers in south west Wales and beyond," Taylor added.
Swans 'have the players' for promotion tilt - Idah published at 12:12 BST 8 May
12:12 BST 8 May
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Adam Idah believes Swansea City will be better placed to push for promotion next season thanks to their experiences in 2025-26.
Swansea are taking stock after an undulating campaign in which early play-off ambitions were replaced by relegation concerns, before an upturn in form under Vitor Matos led to a mid-table finish.
The Swans ended up 11th for the second year in a row but Idah says they will aim higher now that a number of players within Matos' squad have got to know the Championship.
"There are a lot of players who were in their first season, so it's not going to be easy," the striker said.
"But I think towards the back end of the season, what I've seen is we do have the players [to compete for promotion]."
Swansea finished the season nine points behind Hull City, who claimed the final play-off place.
The Swans' total of 64 points was the club's second highest in the last five campaigns, behind the 66-point tally which delivered 10th place in 2022-23.
With the clubs who finish seventh and eighth going into the play-offs for the first time next season, it may not need much of an improvement for Swansea to send their next campaign into overtime.
Idah, a Championship promotion winner at Norwich City in 2021, says finding consistency is key.
"There are games where you might not be playing your best but you've just got to get through them - that is the Championship for you," he added.
"You're playing Saturday, Tuesday, every week. It is very demanding but if you do want to try to get back to the Premier League, that's what you have to do.
"You've got to be very determined to do it and you've got to be consistent the whole way throughout the season."
Swansea will travel to Austria in pre-seasonpublished at 12:05 BST 6 May
12:05 BST 6 May
Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency
Swansea City will travel to Austria for a pre-season training camp in July as part of their preparations for the 2026-27 Championship season.
The exact timing and details of the trip are yet to be announced, but it is likely to feature two friendly matches.
The upcoming pre-season will be Swansea's first under Vitor Matos, who says the chance to spend an extended period on the training ground will be vital for his team's development.
When asked about close-season transfer plans last month, Matos said: "I will say it now, the best transfer [of the summer] will be the pre-season together.
"It doesn't mean that you're going to win all the games, but it means you create basics to be closer to success and you create basics that when there's a little bit of a storm, you always find a way to get out. That will be massive for us."
A season 'to start everything and stabilise' - Matos published at 04:28 BST 5 May
04:28 BST 5 May
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Vitor Matos reckons Swansea City are well placed to progress in 2026-27 after ending a season of change in mid-table.
Swansea finished 11th in the Championship for the second year in a row having swept aside relegation concerns following Matos' appointment in November.
Matos, who took over after Alan Sheehan's dismissal, believes Swansea have built new foundations following the retirements of Joe Allen and Kyle Naughton last summer and the arrival of a raft of new signings.
"There's a change inside of a squad in terms of leadership, new players coming in, players from outside of the Championship coming in," he said.
"So this [season] was the beginning of building something, that was quite clear for everyone. Then of course, [there was me] coming in, trying to use everything that Alan started and to build from that situation towards what I believe in as a manager.
"So if you will say it was a season to start everything and stabilise, I would say yes.
"But it [only] counts until the next game, that's the truth, and the next game we need to compete and try to be better."
Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency
Matos has insisted he does not want to make major changes to his playing squad this summer.
There will be alterations to the Portuguese's backroom team, with Joe Allen and head of goalkeeping Martyn Margetson (pictured above) saying farewell, while Swansea are poised to appoint a new sporting director.
Nevertheless, Matos says the club are "getting in a stable moment in terms of structure and in terms of vision".
"We know where we want to be and we know what we need to keep doing," he added.
"The group of players is really good, there are wonderful staff we have in the club, so we are in a good place for sure for the future."
Woodward's debut to remember - with Watts unlucky to miss outpublished at 14:12 BST 3 May
14:12 BST 3 May
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Vitor Matos toasted Thomas Woodward's debut to remember in Swansea City's final-day win over Charlton Athletic – but revealed he was frustrated not to give Dan Watts a senior chance too.
Forward Woodward, from Neath, joined Swansea at under-nine level and signed a deal running until 2029 earlier this spring.
Having impressed Matos on the training ground in recent months, the 19-year-old (pictured above, second right) was given his senior debut as a second-half substitute on Saturday.
He made an instant impression, claiming an assist for Adam Idah's second goal as he burst down the left flank before squaring for the Republic of Ireland international to score his second goal in Swansea's 3-1 win.
"He came on and he had an impact straight away - running on the line, crossing, trying to be involved in the box," said Swansea boss Matos.
"I like Woody a lot. He has a lot of potential, a lot of talent and he's a really wonderful kid. So it was really nice to see, of course."
Fellow Welsh youngster Watts, who can play in midfield or defence, also joined Swansea at under-nine level and was an unused substitute in the Charlton triumph.
"We would have loved to put Dan as well," Matos added.
"The context of the game didn't allow us to go in that direction, but Dan is a wonderful footballer as well.
"I always said looking inside is the most important thing for a club. There's always talent and that's why we're trying to use the talent we have already before anything."
Matos' good feeling after 'really challenging' seasonpublished at 09:37 BST 3 May
09:37 BST 3 May
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Vitor Matos says a positive end to a "really challenging" campaign shows Swansea City are heading in the right direction as preparation starts for next season.
Adam Idah's late double and a fabulous free-kick from Leo Walta earned Swansea a 3-1 victory over Charlton Athletic on the final day of 2025-26.
The Swans lost only one of their final seven games of the season despite having little to play for.
They have banked 47 points from 30 league fixtures since Matos took charge in November – an average of 1.56 per game – having taken only 17 points from the first 16 matches of a season which at one stage threatened to turn into a long relegation scrap.
"It was a really challenging season, but there was a lot of growth, a lot of developing," Matos said.
"That's what we focus game by game, improving the game, improving the squad, improving the players.
"The last seven games in the international break we lost one, drew three and won three, so it's good as well because it gives you a good platform from the future, gives a good feeling for the boys and for the fans and that's nice."
Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency
Swansea were 20th when Matos took the reins after a 3-0 thrashing at Bristol City in November.
They were only outside the bottom three on goal difference after he lost his first two games at the helm but Swansea have since won 14 of 28 second-tier matches to climb into mid-table.
They ended up 11th for the second season in a row, though the Charlton win means they have three more points this time around.
"It's not about the table, it's more about what we want to improve as a club in terms of identity," Matos added.
"That is much more consistent now against different kinds of opposition.
"I would say in the beginning when I arrived, if we played a team similar to Charlton, we would have struggled to calm down the game and to control it with the ball. [But] these kinds of games are important. It was a nice way to finish."
Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency
Image source, BBC Sport
