Tottenham winger Gareth Bale capped a memorable season on Sunday night when he was named the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Player of the Year.

The 21-year-old Wales international has scored 11 goals in 36 club games this season and becomes the first non-Manchester United player to win the award since Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard in 2006.

He is also the fourth Welshman to be honoured, after Ian Rush, Mark Hughes and his former international colleague, Ryan Giggs.

Bale leapt to global prominence by scoring a hat-trick in Spurs’ 4-3 Champions League defeat at Inter in October, before producing a man-of-the-match performance in Tottenham’s 3-1 win in the return game.

“It is an honour, really, when you look at the names that have won it before and it just makes you go ‘wow’ really,” said Bale.

“I am more than delighted. It is a massive award and it is a great honour to receive, especially from other fellow professionals.”

Bale beat off competition from Arsenal’s Samir Nasri, Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez, Blackpool’s Charlie Adam, Tottenham team-mate Rafael van der Vaart and Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic to win the award.

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, 19, was named PFA Young Player of the Year, despite Bale also being nominated in the category.

“It is my first full season and it is a massive award, especially from my fellow players, it is amazing,” said Wilshere, who has become a first-choice player for Fabio Capello’s England this term.

“I am very proud to be the fifth recipient from Arsenal, it is good to keep this history going.”

PFA team of the year
Edwin van der Sar (Man. United); Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Nemanja Vidic (Man. United), Vincent Kompany (Man. City); Nani (Man. United), Samir Nasri (Arsenal), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur); Carlos Tevez (Man. City), Dimitar Berbatov (Man. United).