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DUO UP FOR WORLD PLAYER OF YEARSteven Gerrard and Fernando Torres were today named among the contenders for FIFA World Player of the Year 2009.
The pair join six other Barclays Premier League stars on the 23-man shortlist.
Injury has proved a disruption for Gerrard and Torres this year, though both played key parts as Liverpool mounted their best title challenge since 1990.
Both players have also helped their countries qualify for South Africa 2010.
FIFA will announce the names of the five players who have received most votes from national coaches and captains at the beginning of December.
The overall winner will then be named on December 19.
The full shortlist is: Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Diego (Brazil), Didier Drogba (CÃīte d'Ivoire), Michael Essien (Ghana), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Steven Gerrard (England), Thierry Henry (France), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), AndrÃĐs Iniesta (Spain), KakÃĄ (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Luis Fabiano (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Carles Puyol (Spain), Franck RibÃĐry (France), Wayne Rooney (England), John Terry (England), Fernando Torres (Spain), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain).