Gareth Bale pays tribute to boss Andre Villas-Boas after scooping PFA double

Gareth Bale paid tribute to his boss Andre Villas-Boas after scooping both the PFA Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year award last night.

The Welsh winger has inspired Tottenham’s chase for Champions League qualification this season, and has been voted as the Premier League’s finest player by his fellow professionals for the second time of his career.

Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo are the only other players to have won the award twice.

Bale, who has fired 19 league goals for Spurs this season, saw off the challenge of Manchester United’s Robin van Persie and Liverpool’s controversial forward Luis Suarez to claim the senior prize, while he also pipped the likes of Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke to the Young Player’s gong.

Thanking his team-mates and manager Andre Villas-Boas, Bale said: “It’s a massive honour. To be voted by your peers is one of the biggest things in the game. It’s great to win it and I am delighted.

“When you look at the list, there are some massive names on it but I couldn’t have done it without the team. They have been fantastic this year and so has the manager.

“The other nominees have been unbelievable, they have been outstanding for their clubs and it’s a massive moment to win, especially as it’s both awards and it’s something that I’m extremely proud of.”