LONDON — Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah was named Player of the Year by England's Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) on Sunday, becoming the first Egyptian to receive the award.

Salah was rewarded for his performances, which have yielded 41 goals in all competitions since joining from AS Roma last year, helping Liverpool reach the Champions League semifinals and secure a likely top-four finish in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old came out on top of a six-man shortlist, voted for by PFA members from the 92 Premier League and Football League teams, that also included league title winners in Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy Sane and David Silva.

Sane did, however, win the Young Player of the Year award while Fran Kirby of Chelsea Ladies was named women's Player of the Year at London's Grosvenor House hotel.

Sane has hailed Pep Guardiola as the "best coach in the world", crediting the manager for improving the team's overall performance which culminated in their Premier League triumph this season.

Sane has been key to City's title charge this campaign, with the 22-year-old scoring nine goals and providing 12 assists which also earned him the PFA's Young Player of the Year award.

"He is, for me, the best coach in the world," Sane told Sky Sports of Guardiola. "Everyone can see that we've improved a lot and have taken the next step. He always tries to get the best and show us the way to play good football."

Sane, who joined City in 2016, also described the team as "perfect" and credited their efforts in helping him win the award. "I'm really grateful because the team is perfect," Sane added. "They are all really good guys and we work really hard. To play with fantastic players like we have in our team is great. Thankfully the club gave me the chance to do it and I enjoy it a lot." — Reuters