Who Was The First Player To Win The UEFA European Footballer Of The Year?

The first player to win the UEFA European footballer of the year award was former Blackpool and England star Sir Stanley Matthews, who became the first recipricant of the award in ninteen fifty six.  

A mark of how big an achievement it was for Sir Stanley to win the award is shown by the quality of the winners in the years following fifty six, with Alfredo Di Stefano, the Real Madrid legend winning the award the following year, in ninteen fifty seven.  The following year another great of the game, and also a Real Madrid star, Raymond Kapa won the award in ninteen fifty eight.  

Other winners of note are Denis Law, the legendry Manchester United and Scotland forward, won the award in ninteen sixty four, George Best in ninteen sixty eight, who won the award after inspiring Manchester United to victory in the European cup.

Former England manager and captain Kevin Keegen also won the award in sucessive years, in ninteen seventy eight and seventy nine whilst at German side SV Hamburg.