LONDON, April 20: Arsenal’s injured midfielder Robert Pires has narrowly beaten Ruud van Nistelrooy to the English Football Writers’ Player of the Year award.

France international Pires, who damaged his cruciate knee ligament in March, won by five votes from Manchester United striker van Nistelrooy.

Pires has been ruled out of this year’s World Cup finals and is due to have surgery on the injury, which is expected to keep him out of action for around six months.

“I’m delighted to be given this honour, obviously it’s a very difficult time for me but winning this award has given me something to smile about,” Pires said on the Football Writers’ official website.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said: “Everybody at the club is happy for Robert because obviously he was very down after being injured. Now we just hope to have him back and fully fit before too long.”—Reuters