Bruno Fernandes has been named the men’s player of the year for the previous season at the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) awards held on Tuesday in Manchester, England. Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw received the women’s player of the year award.
These accolades recognize outstanding performances in English soccer, highlighting the achievements of both players over the past season.
Football Writers’ Association Awards: Fernandes and City Stars Shine
Manchester United’s captain, Bruno Fernandes, and Manchester City forward, Erling Haaland, have successfully defended their titles at the Football Writers’ Association Awards, echoing their victories from May. Fernandes commented on the significance of receiving votes from peers, stating, “They are the ones you go on the pitch against and it’s probably not easy to vote for someone you play against, so it is a very good moment.”
In addition, Jamaica’s 29-year-old captain secured the PFA award for 2024.
The young player awards were claimed by Nico O’Reilly of Manchester City and Olivia Smith of Arsenal. Smith’s achievement marks her second consecutive win, following a world record transfer from Liverpool.
Fernandes broke the assists record in the Premier League’s 34-year history by setting up 21 goals for Man United teammates. The previous mark was set by both Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
The 31-year-old Portugal international also scored nine times as Man United rallied from a poor start to the season for coach Ruben Amorim, and under interim boss Michael Carrick finished third in the Premier League and will return to the Champions League this season. Shaw led Man City to its first Women’s Super League title in 10 years with a division-high 19 goals in 21 games. She was the league’s top scorer for the third straight season.
