You are in for a treat today as the gang from Dictate the Game each bring us their FM23 Player of the Year nominations! Enjoy 👌.
Ryan - Dane Scarlett
Where do we start then? It's been an absolute rollercoaster this year, and I have had so many different thoughts and opinions on who this player should be. I have finally decided and it's none other than Dane Scarlett.
Having started the unemployed journey with no badges, it took me until 2032 to meet the prolific striker. My online save with my friend is currently 20 seasons in and I don't think there's a player that's been as important for me. It's fair to say the memories I have with him are unrivalled, it was like a match made in heaven. Despite only managing the striker for a couple of years, no other player gave me as much joy as Dane did.
It's fair to say that his career definitely took a turn for the better when I was lucky enough to manage him at Aston Villa. He joined Villa in the 2028/29 season from Manchester United on an original loan where he scored 2 goals in 22 appearances, the deal was made permanent in the 2029/30 season for £36.5M. Before I managed him he had scored 55 senior league goals, on his debut season for me he scored 51 in the Championship.
Dane Scarlett's attributes and season stats for the 2032/33 season. A season to be remembered, where he massively helped the club get back into the Premier League. I honestly thought we'd struggle the season after, but his form remained the same. In our debut season back in the Premier League he scored 17 goals, and the season after he scored 23. That's when we departed and I went on to manage Tottenham. Although our meeting was brief, the long lasting memories were something I hadn't quite got with any other player.
Dane went on to play for Aston Villa for 9 seasons before moving to West Ham in 2037/38 and finishing his playing career at West Brom. At the age of 36 Dane decided to retire, if I had it my way he'd still be playing. Thankfully he continued his involvement in the game, and I decided to sign him whilst I was managing Wolves. He came in as an Under 18's coach, however, I fully expect his development to continue and he will go on to be a manager one day.
You can see how much he means to me, as I give him a personalised shout out in the Football Manager TikTok. In fairness, I don't think there are enough words that I could write that would match the appreciation I have for Dane Scarlett. He was not only pivotal in his own development but he very much allowed me to push on in my managerial career. Since Aston Villa, I have been lucky enough to manage Tottenham, Everton, Barcelona and most recently Villareal. What a guy.
George - Levi Colwill
What a year it has been! This has to have been one of the toughest choices I’ve made all year, which either says a lot about my personal life or that I’ve had an abundance of top tier players in this year's football manager. But after a lot of toing and froing I’ve decided on the man himself Levi Colwill.
A stalwart of my FM journey is my annual Bolton wanderers save I do at the start of every year and this year was no different. After a tough road to the premiership, I finally made it in the 27/28 season and my first signing was none other than the rock at the back Levi colwill. It was a bargain like no other picking him up for 6.5 million from the recently relegated Southampton, an absolute steal if I do say so myself.
The way I set my side up I needed a centre back that was not only physically adept but was a good dribbler to open the game up and although I only managed him for 4 seasons, the overwhelming happiness watching him make team splitting runs through the centre was unparalleled. With 7 goals in his first season he was no doubt a major reason why we survived our first season of the top flight.
An ever-present dominating presence at the back, he would go on to make 178 appearances for the whites scoring 21 goals in the process. Not only was he impressive on the field he was also a key dressing room figure being one of the three leaders that lead my side from strength to strength including a very satisfying victory over “rivals” Manchester United in which he got himself on the score sheet.
During the 2031/32 season he played a key role in getting Bolton to the champions league for the first time. Finishing 4th in the league in a season that finally got him a place in the overall best 11. We are now in the 2032/33 season as I’m writing this post where he’s one of 3 players that aren’t regens still in my starting line up, having recently gone back to this save I’m hoping I can squeeze a tiny bit more out of him before the FM23 cycle comes to an end!
Patrick - Loranzo Blasco
When I was asked to choose my player of the cycle, I knew it was going to be a difficult choice. My eight seasons at SD Compostela have been excellent, and I’ve had some really memorable players at the club in our rise to the top. Would it be Peru Ruiz, who still holds the club record for goals scored in a single season (37)? Could it be José Lara, the diminutive winger whose mazy running helped us achieve back-to-back promotions to the second division? Perhaps Tòfol Montiel, discarded by Mallorca and Fiorentina, but who found a home at Compostela and catapulted us into La Liga, reviving his career in the process?
In my end of save review, I highlighted my favourite player as Beñat Prados, who has spent seven years at the club now after joining from Bilbao. He’s played in both La Liga 2 and the Champion’s league for us, and he’s shown unwavering loyalty. But I’ve already spoken about him, and I don't think he's been my best player, just my favourite.
Instead, I've nominated an Argentinian newgen as my best player of FM23 - shock.
Lorenzo Blasco has been integral to our success. Signed for free after leaving PSM Fútbol in Argentina, he spent a season out on loan at Châteauroux and became a first team regular straight after. Four years on, and he is one of the first names on the team sheet. At one point in the 2030/31 transfer window, PSG, Man United, Bayern Munich and Tottenham were all interested in him, but none were willing to pay his £115M release clause. Their loss.
His best traits are a mix of technical ability, defensive intelligence and stamina. It makes him versatile - he started his Compostela career as a Defensive Midfielder, then tactical shifts saw him fielded as a Carrilero, and now I use him as a Mezzala on support duty. I’ve crafted him into a ‘dribbling 8’, in the mould of someone like Dominik Szoboszlai, a role he excels in. Although never a prolific goal scorer or provider, his latest season (2029/30) was his best, registering 7 goals and 7 assists, as well as making his Argentina debut.
What makes me love him even more is at 22 his best years are still ahead of him. With FM24 less than two months away, I’m not sure if I’ll get to see them before moving on to a new team, with new stars and favourites. I’ve no doubt that he’ll end up amongst the world’s best, and he deserves it. I've also no doubt that he will eventually leave for a much bigger club, making us a tidy profit in the process. For now at least, he’s a Compostela player, and a bloody good one too.
Three great nominations - if you enjoyed that, be sure to follow DictateTheGame to catch all of their Football Manager content especially with a new game just around the corner! Let us know your thoughts on these nominations in the comments below and if they are worthy of consideration - also, if you fancy writing about your FM23 Player of the Year, drop us a line on Twitter or reach out to MaddFM directly.
