Three players from Chelsea have been nominated for the Professional Footballers’ Association Players’ Player of the Year award.

Captain John Terry, goalkeeper Petr Cech and midfielder Frank Lampard have all been shortlisted for the award. They are joined by the winner for the last two years, Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, Crystal Palace striker Andrew Johnson and Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard.

The winner will be announced at the PFA awards dinner on Sunday 24 April.

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor believes Lampard and Terry are the leading contenders for the award.

“Frank was knocking on the door when he was playing under Claudio Ranieri last year, when he finished second to Thierry Henry,” said Taylor.

“Like John Terry, he’s taken his game to another level under Jose Mourinho, who deserves a lot of credit for the way he has brought on Frank, John and Joe Cole this season.

“Frank just wants to play and, like Terry, he has been there week in, week out all season and they have both been inspirational.”

Manchester United’s teenage striker Wayne Rooney is among those nominated for the Young Player of the Year award.

Rooney faces competition from fellow Englishmen Jermain Defoe, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Stewart Downing. Chelsea’s Dutch forward Arjen Robben and Man Utd’s Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo are also nominated.