STORY: The Man City forward received 82 percent of the votes and was presented by the trophy, first won by Ballon d'Or winner Sir Stanley Matthews in 1948, by FWA Chair John Cross.

The Norwegian has scored 36 goals in 35 Premier League appearances in his debut season for the Sky Blues, propelling City to a third straight league title and breaking the single season goalscoring record of 34 once shared by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer in an era when the Premier League had two more teams and thus four more matches in a season.

The 22-year-old's goal tally rises to 52 this season across all competitions, 13 shy of Dixie Dean's record for goals scored in single season in English professional football which the Everton legend set in the 1927/1928.