Hooray! Patrick Vieira has been named Carling Player of the Year - the first Arsenal player to be so honoured, and the last to get the Carling bit in the title (as their league sponsorship is about to lapse).

"Vieira has it all - skill on the ball, pace, and the ability to score and create goals," reads the citation. "He has also been committed to the Arsenal cause throughout the season. He has dominated the midfield area in the Carling Premiership and has shown the rest of us how it should be done.

"Vieira is the central figure around which the Arsenal team works, he is the player that makes them tick. If he continues this form in the future he could well be made Arsenal's captain in seasons to come." (We've lost track of how many times this has been said...)

PV will be presented with the trophy on the pitch before this evening's Seaman testimonial against Barcelona.

Here's hoping it makes up for the PFA and Football Writers' shameful omission of Vieira's name from their shortlists.