Years ahead of Time..Cesc Fabregas PFA Young Player of the Year

Cesc has taken this season's award for Youth player of the year and no one can deny the fact he rightfully earned it. The young Spaniard has become the key figure in Arsenal's midfield before he reached the age of 20. The youngman who hails from Spain left the giant of Spain, FC Barcalona for English shores in 2003 and has not looked back since. Wenger was so impressed with his talents that he granted Fabregas the role of central midfield when Patrick Viera departed to Juventus. The young Spaniard did not disappoint and soon found himself to be the central figure at Arsenal...at age 21. The youngman has a number of qualities that has made Arsene place his faith in him. Fabregas' mental insight of the game is second to none, he is able to plot out modes of action and then passes the ball to his team mates in precision. He has the ability to score goals. He somtimes sets aside his playmaker role and pushes forward to score a goal or two. He is known to be tenacious in defense. His baby face and small stature have proven to be deceptive. The midfielder has gained a reputation for dishing out crunching tackles that leave his opponents thinking twice before crossing his path. Earlier this season, premiereship bully Robby Savage felt the full force of the Spaniard after mentioning he felt he was too soft for his role. Savage then found himself on the worst end of a tackle by Cesc that forced him out of the game prematurely.

Cesc has been on a continual path of maturity since the day he arrived in Highbury. He arrived at the tender age of 16 and spent most of his first season adjusting to environment. He spent most his time on the sidelines observing midfield masters Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Da Silva work their magic on the pitch. That season he only made 3 appearances and made no significant contributions. He was not even eligible for a Premiereship winners medal because he did not participate in any of the league matches. He still managed to break a club record that season, becoming the youngest player to play in a game, at the age of 16. In the following season Cesc finally gained extensive playing time due to injuries in the midfield. He made 46 appearances, scored 3 goals and created 4 assists. He then broke 2 records one for his club and the other for the Champions League. He became the youngest player to score for his club in a victory over Blackburn and second youngest player to score in the Champions league after scoring in a victory over Rosenburg. His numbers gradually improved as the seasons went by. In the 2005/06 season the departure of Viera meant he had to take up more responsibility in midfield. He managed to score 5 goals and created 5 assists. The next season saw him maturing into his play maker role and his assists increased to 16.

This brings us to the present season where Fabregas continues to shine. In this season his determination to regain his tact for goal (In Bara's Academy he scored over 30 goals in a season despite playing defensive midfield). He racked in 13 goals, 10 of which came before the January transfer window. He hit in long range shots and low shots close to goal. He improved his assists rate bringing his tally to 24 to date. Throughout the season Cesc supplied the likes of Adebayor, Eduado and Van Persie beautiful passes that left defenses open. His partnership with French defensive midfielder Flamini helped the club remain at the top of the tables for most of the season. The two evolved into an inseperable force that provided Arsenal with precision passes and tackles that left opponents in bewilderment. His side is now 3rd place in the league with two games to go. This season was again was trophyless for Arsenal but with a natural playmaker like Cesc their challange to the title may soon return positive results.