Manchester United striker Sheringham beat team-mate David Beckham to the award by two votes.

Sheringham is also one of the candidates up for the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year award.

"It is an honour bearing in mind the illustrious names who have won it in previous years," said Sheringham.

"Although I'm very down and disappointed at the moment after going out of Europe, this is a very special personal highlight in my career.

"I'd like to thank all my team mates for their help and support. This is an honour for the club as well as for myself."

Sheringham has scored 20 goals so far this sesaon and is the first Englishman to win the writers' award since Alan Shearer in 1994.

He also follows in the footsteps of Roy Keane, who claimed the mantle last season.

Sir Stanley Matthews, who died last year, was the first winner of the award in 1948 and the statuette given to the winner is now named after him as a mark of honour.