April 27 (Bloomberg) -- Ryan Giggs was voted English soccer’s player of the year by his peers for the first time in an 18-year career that yielded a record haul of team prizes.

The 35-year-old midfielder beat Manchester United teammates Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Cristiano Ronaldo and Edwin van der Sar as well as Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard to claim the Professional Footballers’ Association award. Aston Villa forward Ashley Young, 23, took the young player accolade.

Giggs, who has twice been named the PFA’s young player of the year, adds the senior award to his collection of 22 major team honors that includes a record 10 Premier League titles and two European Cups. United is in contention to win both those trophies again this season.

“It’s right up there with personal accolades, it’s the best to have as it’s voted by your fellow players,” Giggs said after receiving the award at last night’s televised gala in London. “I’ve been fortunate to win a lot of trophies, I won the young player award twice, but this is the big one.”

Giggs, who has been used in a more central role in recent seasons after playing most of his career on the wing, took the award even though he’s started just 12 league games this campaign. He’s been a squad regular in all competitions.

Should he play against Arsenal in the Champions League semifinals in two days, the Welshman will become the first player to make 800 appearances for United. He agreed to a one- year contract extension last month that will keep him at the club he joined as a schoolboy through June 2010.

‘Into the Distance’

“As long as I’m getting picked, enjoying it and injury- free, I’ll carry on as long as I can,” Giggs said. “At 35 you can’t look too far into the distance, you just can’t.”

Giggs was one of six United players in the PFA’s Premier League team of the year. All the winners were chosen by polling players from England’s 92 clubs.

“Just like a good wine, he gets better with age and his award is a testimony to both his longevity and professionalism,” Gordon Taylor, the PFA’s chief executive officer, said in a statement on the organization’s Web site.

PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM OF THE YEAR: Edwin Van der Sar (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Fernando Torres (Liverpool).

To contact the reporter on this story: Dan Baynes in Sydney at dbaynes@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: April 26, 2009 23:12 EDT