Miguel Delaney and Adam Clery secure top prizes at FSA Aw...

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Miguel Delaney and Adam Clery land top prizes at FSA Awards 2025

The Independent’s Chief Football Writer and The Adam Clery Football Channel were recognised at a London ceremony, with England and Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Alessia Russo also picking up prizes

Sports StaffTuesday 02 December 2025 11:44 GMTComments

open image in galleryAdam Clery and Miguel Delaney with their prizes at the FSA Awards 2025 (Miguel Delaney)

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The Independent’s Miguel Delaney and Adam Clery took home top prizes at the Football Supporters’ Association Awards 2025.

Chief Football Writer Delaney picked up Football Writer of the Year at the ceremony in central London on Monday evening.

While Clery, who leads Independent Studio's The Adam Clery Football Channel, was recognised for Social Media of the Year.

The awards attracted more than 400,000 votes, making the FSA Awards the biggest supporter-led awards show in the country.

Delaney has enjoyed an excellent 2025, leading the Independent’s football coverage, including England’s stunning victory in the Women’s Euro 2025 final against Spain on penalties.

His book, States of Play: How Sportswashing Took Over Football, won the Charles Tyrwhitt Football Book of the Year award and it was also shortlisted for the 2025 William Hill Sports Book of the Year award.

Meanwhile Delaney also successfully launched his newsletter, Miguel Delaney: Inside Football, to take fans beyond the game with exclusive insights throughout a packed year ahead of next summer’s World Cup 2026.

Clery has led ACFC, with the YouTube channel attracting more than 182,000 subscribers for weekly tactical analysis and insight on the Premier League and beyond.

Clery also produces The Adam Clery Football Column on the beautiful game’s absurdities and oddities through his weekly newsletter.

Declan Rice attended the ceremony after the Arsenal star picked up the Men’s Player of the Year, beating out stiff competition from Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Antoine Semenyo (AFC Bournemouth), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Moises Caicedo (Chelsea) and Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool).

“It’s a massive privilege to receive the FSA Player of the Year Award, seeing the players I’m up against,” Rice said. “To be recognised by the supporters, to vote for me to win, it’s really, really special so I can’t thank them enough. The men’s team and the women’s team, we’ve been recognised in so many different ways and that’s where we want to be, winning things on and off the pitch.”

open image in galleryMiguel Delaney wins Football Writer of the Year at the FWA Awards 2025 (Miguel Delaney)

Alessia Russo won Women’s Player of the Year ahead of Chelsea’s Erin Cuthbert and Millie Bright, Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City) and her own teammate Mariona Caldentey.

“Thank you to all the fans that voted, it means a lot,” said Russo. “It was an incredible summer, an incredible few months, winning the Champions League and the Euros. Hopefully it’s inspired us to carry on winning because that’s what it’s all about!”