The Ulster Footballer of the Year is an association football player of the year award in Northern Ireland. One of two player of the year awards in Northern Ireland, the other is the Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association award. The Ulster award is the older of the two.

It is awarded by Castlereagh Glentoran Supporters' Club to the player who is adjudged by an independent committee to have been the best of the season in the Irish League. The award has been presented since the 1950–51 season, when the inaugural winner was Kevin McGarry of Cliftonville. The current holder of the award is Chris Shields, of Linfield.BBC Glenn Ferguson has won the award most often: on three occasions.M. Brodie (ed.), Northern Ireland Soccer Yearbook 2010–2011. Belfast:Ulster Tatler Publications

List of winners

YearPlayerClub 1950–51 Kevin McGarry Cliftonville 1951–52 Eric Treverrow Ballymena United 1952–53 Sammy Hughes Glentoran 1953–54 Jimmy Delaney Derry City 1954–55 Maurice McVeigh Glenavon 1955–56 Dick Keith Linfield 1956–57 Wilbur Cush Glenavon 1957–58 Jackie Milburn Linfield 1958–59 Clancy McDermott Coleraine 1959–60 Billy Neill Glentoran 1960–61 Albert Campbell Crusaders 1961–62 Tommy Dickson Linfield 1962–63 Roy Rea Glentoran 1963–64 Trevor Thompson Glentoran 1964–65 Dougie Wood Derry City 1965–66 Tommy Leishman Linfield 1966–67 Walter Bruce Glentoran 1967–68 Sammy Hatton Linfield 1968–69 Billy McAvoy Ards 1969–70 Billy Humphries Ards 1970–71 Bryan Hamilton Linfield 1971–72 Billy Humphries Ards 1972–73 Sammy Lunn Portadown 1973–74 Arthur Stewart Ballymena United 1974–75 Eric Bowyer Linfield 1975–76 Warren Feeney Glentoran 1976–77 Peter Rafferty Linfield 1977–78 Jim Martin Linfield 1978–79 Roy Walsh Glentoran 1979–80 Lindsay McKeown Linfield 1980–81 George Dunlop Linfield 1981–82 Felix Healy Coleraine 1982–83 Jim Cleary Glentoran 1983–84 Bobby Carlisle Cliftonville 1984–85 Martin McGaughey Linfield 1985–86 Pat McCoy Crusaders 1986–87 Raymond McCoy Coleraine 1987–88 Alan Patterson Glentoran 1988–89 Lindsay McKeown Linfield 1989–90 Ollie Ralph Newry Town 1990–91 Stephen McBride Glenavon 1991–92 Raymond Morrison Glentoran 1992–93 Stevie Cowan Portadown 1993–94 Noel Bailie Linfield 1994–95 Kevin McKeown Crusaders 1995–96 Peter Kennedy Portadown 1996–97 Stephen Baxter Crusaders 1997–98 Marty Tabb Cliftonville 1998–99 John Devine Glentoran 1999–2000 Vinny Arkins Portadown 2000–01 Glenn Ferguson Linfield 2001–02 Mickey Keenan Portadown 2002–03 Gary Smyth Glentoran 2003–04 Glenn Ferguson Linfield 2004–05 Paul Leeman Glentoran 2005–06 Glenn Ferguson Linfield 2006–07 William Murphy Linfield 2007–08 Alan Mannus Linfield 2008–09 Chris Scannell Cliftonville 2009–10 Rory Patterson Coleraine 2010–11 Alan Blayney Linfield 2011–12 Gary McCutcheon Ballymena United 2012–13 Liam Boyce Cliftonville 2013–14 Joe Gormley Cliftonville 2014–15 Paul Heatley Crusaders 2015–16 Billy Joe Burns Crusaders 2016–17 Jamie Mulgrew Linfield 2017–18 Gavin Whyte Crusaders 2018–19 Jimmy Callacher Linfield 2019–20 No award due to COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland 2020–21 Shayne Lavery Linfield 2021–22 Chris Shields Linfield 2022–23 Leroy Millar Larne 2023–24 Kyle McClean Linfield 2024–25 Joel Cooper Linfield 2025–26 Rohan Ferguson Larne

Wins by player (multiple) PlayerTotalYears 32001, 2004, 2006 21970, 1972 21980, 1990

Wins by country ClubPlayersTotal586288 Republic of Ireland33 England11

Wins by club ClubPlayersTotalLinfield2326Glentoran1313Crusaders77Cliftonville66Portadown55Coleraine44Ards23Ballymena United33Glenavon33Derry City22Larne11Newry City11

See also Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association Player of the Year

References

External links Irish League Archive - Player Awards