Robbie Brady wins second FAI Senior Men’s Player of the Year award

Robbie Brady has been named the FAI Senior Men’s Player of the Year for the second time.

Brady was up against fellow Irish internationals Nathan Collins and Caoimhín Kelleher for the senior men’s award. The award covers individual performances between June 2024 and May 2025.

Ireland legend and assistant manager John O’Shea presented the left-back with the award alongside Irish manager Heimir Hallgrimsson at a team meeting ahead of Friday’s international against Senegal on Wednesday.

In a video posted on the Republic of Ireland’s X account, Brady said:

“This is brilliant; I didn’t expect to win it. . . shows how s**t youse have all been if I’m winning this!”

You can watch Brady receiving his award below.

Brady missed all of Ireland’s Euro 2024 qualification campaign. But since his return to fitness, he has returned to prominence under Heimir Hallgrimsson. His return to the Ireland team proved crucial, as he scored the late winner in the 2-1 victory over Finland in Helsinki.

He previously won the award in 2016 after scoring twice in Ireland’s Euro 2016 campaign.

 

His goal against Italy has gone down in Irish footballing folklore. He followed that goal up with an early penalty against France in the Round of 16 before Ireland were subsequently eliminated by the hosts.

Brady is in line to win a second award this year. His winner away to Finland was shortlisted for Goal of the Year, alongside Evan Ferguson’s equaliser against Bulgaria in March’s Nations League promotion/relegation play-off.

35th FAI International Awards nominees list in full 

Senior Men’s International Player of the Year

Robbie Brady (winner)

Nathan Collins

Caoimhin Kelleher

Senior Women’s International Player of the Year

Kyra Carusa

Anna Patten

Julie-Ann Russell

Young Men’s International Player of the Year

Finn Azaz

Festy Ebosele

Jake O’Brien

Young Women’s International Player of the Year

Abbie Larkin

Jessie Stapleton

Tyler Toland

International Goal of the Year

MNT | Robbie Brady vs Finland

MNT | Evan Ferguson vs Bulgaria

WNT | Julie-Ann Russell vs France

Men’s Under-21 International Player of the Year

Anselmo Garcia-MacNulty

Matt Healy

Andrew Moran

Men’s Under-19 International Player of the Year

Jacob Devaney

Thomas Morely

Freddie Turley

Women’s Under-19 International Player of the Year

Jess Fitzgerald

Katie Keane

Aoife Kelly

Men’s Under-18 International Player of the Year

Kyle Fitzgerald

Luke O’Donnell

James Roche

Men’s Under-17 International Player of the Year

Rory Finneran

Ramon Martos

Finn Sherlock

Women’s Under-17 International Player of the Year

Anna Butler

Ella Kelly

Madison McGuane

Boys’ Under-16 International Player of the Year

Joe Byrne

Tadgh Prizeman

Niall Sullivan

Girls’ Under-16 International Player of the Year

Keelin Comiskey

Ciara Milton

Hailey Twomey

Boys’ Under-15 International Player of the Year

Maxim Afonin

Josh O’Dwyer

Archie Quinn

Girls’ Under-15 Schools International Player of the Year

Ava Hallinan (Jesus & Mary Secondary School, Enniscrone)

Ciara Milton (St. Leo’s College, Carlow)

Hailey Twomey (Eureka Secondary School, Kells)

Boys’ Under-18 Schools International Player of the Year

Adam Brennan (Hartstown Community School

Alan Kizenga (St Mac Dara’s Community School, Templeogue)

Rhys Knight (Clonkeen College, Blackrock)

Football For All International Player of the Year

Josh Hennessy (Down Syndrome Futsal)

Neil Hoey (Amputee)

Heather Jameson (Cerebral Palsy)

 

Experienced sports journalist with expertise in GAA (Gaelic games), football, cricket, rugby and more. I frequently cover GAA for Irish daily national newspapers, the GAA, and Irish state broadcaster RTÉ. I am also on the media teams at London & Dublin GAA. My football experience includes work at professional football clubs such as Queens Park Rangers, Wimbledon and Arsenal. I have also covered major competitions such as the Champions League and Euro 2024. Outside of the sports above, I co-ran the official social media channels of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

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