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Cristiano Ronaldo received a timely tonic on Sunday evening when he was confirmed as PFA Player of the Year for the second successive season.

After a week in which he missed a penalty in Barcelona and suffered defeat at Chelsea, the award reminds us how rare these occasional lows are in Cristiano's high-flying career.

Ronaldo's fellow professionals voted him the top performer in English football, ahead of Liverpool duo Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, Arsenal pair Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor and Portsmouth goalkeeper David James. All six were shortlisted for the award but few people gave the other five a prayer of pipping the Portuguese ace.

Cristiano was again nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year - which he also won in 2007 - but this time the gong went to Fabregas of Arsenal. The awards were presented at London's Grosvenor House Hotel but Ronaldo did not attend, given the Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona is just two days away.

In a pre-recorded acceptance speech, Ronaldo said:

"I feel very happy. When you work all season to do something for the team, and then at the end the PFA give you this award, it is a great moment.

"It is an honour, a pleasure and a great motivation to carry on, to work more and get better.