Ollie Whitmore, Chief football news reporter
Bruno Fernandes has been named the Premier League’s 2025/26 Player of the Season after a fantastic campaign leading Manchester United’s surge back up the table to return to the Champions League.
The United captain, 31, has scored eight goals yet most impressively equaled the record of 20 assists in a single league campaign, also held by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and former Manchester City playmaker Kevin de Bruyne.
Starting 34 league games this season, Fernandes has been at the centre of Michael Carrick’s successful audition for the role of full-time manager and is the first Untied player to win the award since 2011 when Nemanja Vidić lifted his final title with United.
This means the Portuguese international is the club’s first player in 15 years to be named player of the season, having also been named the Football Writers’ Association men’s Player of the Year earlier this month.
Fernandes has created the most chances (132) of any Premier League player this season to add to his assist haul, and will break the record if he notches just one more against Brighton on the final game of the season tomorrow.
The winner of the award is decided as public votes are combined with the views of a panel of football experts.
Carrick signed a two-year contract to keep him at the club on a permanent basis until 2028, with the option of a further year, after he led the club back to the promised land of European football and has Fernandes to thank for his standout performances.