Tottenham's Gareth Bale has been voted player of the year by the Professional Footballers' Association.
The 21-year-old has scored 11 goals in 36 games for Spurs this season.
Bale, who is the fourth Welshman to win after Ian Rush, Mark Hughes and Ryan Giggs, said: "It is a honour really when you look at the names that have won it before and it just makes you go 'wow' really."
The young player of the year award went to Arsenal's Jack Wilshere.
In winning the player of the year award Bale beat competition from Charlie Adam, Samir Nasri, Scott Parker, Carlos Tevez, Rafael van der Vaart and Nemanja Vidic.
"I am more than delighted really," he said. "It is a massive award and it is a great honour to receive, especially from other fellow professionals.
GARTEH BALE SPURS BIO
Continue reading the main story
- Born: 16 July 1989
- Debut: 26 August 2007
- 112 Appearances
- 17 Goals
- Previous club: Southampton
The award completes a remarkable turnaround for a player who at the start of 2010 was only on the fringes of the Spurs team.
At that point in his career he had yet to start a game for Spurs that they had gone on to win, and there was speculation about a move away, but the left-sided attacking midfielder never doubted his abilities.
"At the beginning I wasn't really playing much and I always believed in myself that if I did get a run in the team - which I eventually did - that I would be able to prove what I can do," he added.
"That did happen and I kind of never really looked back from there. Playing in a good team with good players definitely helped me a lot and all the boys have been fantastic, the manager has been fantastic, giving me my chance, and it is something I want to improve on."
There is now transfer gossip of a different kind, with Bale being linked to some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Although, the player did sign a new contract last month which, unless Spurs decide to sell him, will keep him at the club until 2015.
Bale's remarkable run of form began towards the end of last season when an injury to Benoit Assou-Ekotto meant he was given a run of games in the first team.
Gareth Bale joined Spurs from Southampton in May 2007
In keeping with his attacking style, the only way was forward from there. Before the season was over he had scored winning goals against London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea and helped Spurs to fourth place and Champions League qualification.
It was his perfomances in Spurs' Champions League campaign, though, that really caught the eye.
In particular a second half hat-trick against Inter Milan.
Ultimately it was to be in a losing cause, but it was the nature of his finishing and direct running that impressed so many. He then followed it up with a man of the match display in the return fixture at White Hart Lane.
But despite the acclaim and the awards coming at such a young age the Welshman is famously down to earth.
He said: "There haven't been too many Welshman to have won the trophy but it is great and it is great for me personally. And it is not just for me, it is for all my team-mates that have helped me through the season and it is kind of for everyone really."
He already has 27 caps for Wales and on n making his debut against Trinidad and Tobago in June 2006 as a substitute, he became their youngest ever full-international at just 16 years 315 days.
Bale had also been nominated for the young player of the year award too but that went elsewhere in North London.