The six players up for English football’s top individual award have been revealed, with Manchester City dominating the list after winning the title
Bruno Fernandes, Harry Kane and Ruben Dias lead the nominees for the annual PFA Players’ Player of the Year prize, with the award ceremony due to take place on June 6.
With the 2020-21 season now over, the time has come for the top individual awards in England to be dished out to the players that have shone the brightest over the past 12 months.
The final nominees for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, PFA Young Player of the Year, Women’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Women’s PFA Young Player of the Year have now been revealed, with Manchester City dominating in the men’s game after clinching their fifth Premier League title.
PFA Players’ Player of the Year nominees
Bruno Fernandes is up for the prize following his outstanding first full season for Manchester United, during which he managed to record 18 goals and 12 assists in 37 Premier League outings.
Tottenham striker Harry Kane also made the cut after winning the Golden Boot and Playmaker awards, but City defender Ruben Dias is the favourite to scoop the accolade.
Dias has already been named the Football Writers’ Association’s Footballer of the Year, and will also be facing competition from team-mates Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden for the PFA gong.
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
| Bruno Fernandes | Man Utd |
| Harry Kane | Tottenham |
| Ilkay Gundogan | Man City |
| Kevin De Bruyne | Man City |
| Phil Foden | Man City |
| Ruben Dias | Man City |
PFA Young Player of the Year nominees
Foden has also been nominated in the Young Player of the Year section as a reward for his best season yet at City, with the 21-year-old now fully established as a key member of Pep Guardiola’s squad.
The 2019-20 winner Trent Alexander-Arnold is also in contention, as is Bukayo Saka, who stood out in a struggling Arsenal side during the 2020-21 campaign.
Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood, Chelsea playmaker Mason Mount and West Ham midfielder Declan Rice complete the list of nominees.
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
| Bukayo Saka | Arsenal |
| Declan Rice | West Ham |
| Mason Greenwood | Man Utd |
| Mason Mount | Chelsea |
| Phil Foden | Man City |
| Trent Alexander-Arnold | Liverpool |
Women’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year nominees
The most prestigious prize in the women’s game will go to either a Chelsea or Manchester City player, with the former having just beaten the latter to the finishing post in the WSL.
Chelsea are represented by Ann-Katrin Berger, Fran Kirby and Sam Kerr, who finished the season as the division’s top scorer with 21 goals.
Man City trio Chloe Kelly, Lauren Hemp and Sam Mewis make up the final nominees for the award, which was won by Blues forward Bethany England in 2019-20.
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
| Ann-Katrin Berger | Chelsea |
| Chloe Kelly | Man City |
| Fran Kirby | Chelsea |
| Lauren Hemp | Man City |
| Sam Kerr | Chelsea |
| Sam Mewis | Man City |
Women’s PFA Young Player of the Year nominees
Hemp is the only player nominated for both of the women’s prizes, with the 20-year-old boasting six goals and eight assists from her 15 WSL appearances last term. She is joined on the Young Player list by another of her City colleagues, Ellie Roebuck.
Ebony Salmon, who has just joined Racing Louisville of the NWSL, has made the cut after her impressive final year at Bristol City, along with Chelsea star Niamh Charles and Manchester United duo Ella Toone and Lauren James.
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
| Ebony Salmon | Bristol City (now with Racing Louisville) |
| Ella Toone | Man Utd |
| Ellie Roebuck | Man City |
| Lauren Hemp | Man City |
| Lauren James | Man Utd |
| Niamh Charles | Chelsea |
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