Bruno's honest take on the PFA award for 2020/21
Manchester United talisman Bruno Fernandes wants to win the PFA Player of the Season award, as it would signify that he and the team enjoyed a positive season, yet the Portuguese recently admitted he'd prefer the prize in a campaign when a trophy has also been won.
It was announced on Wednesday that our no.18 has been shortlisted for the prestigious award alongside Manchester City quartet Ruben Dias, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Ilkay Gundogan, plus Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, with the winner due to be crowned on Sunday.
Fernandes enjoyed an excellent campaign for United by scoring 28 goals and registering 18 assists from 58 appearances, helping the Reds to finish second in the Premier League, but there was unfortunately a disappointing conclusion with a defeat in the Europa League final.
⚽️ The nominees for the 2021 PFA Men’s Players’ Player of the Year!
— Professional Footballers' Association (@PFA) June 2, 2021
@B_Fernandes8@HKane@IlkayGuendogan@DeBruyneKev@PhilFoden@RubenDias
🥇 Who would get your vote?
#PFAawards #POTY@ManUtd @SpursOfficial @ManCity pic.twitter.com/j13REIPlYt
“If we win trophies, it is the most important thing,” he told us. “Of course, it’s good for a player to win individual awards and I will never say I don’t want to be the best player in the league or I don’t want to be the PFA Player of the Season. I want to be [that] but I want to be [that] if the team wins trophies. If the team does win trophies, for me, it’s the same.
“For me, the most important thing is to help my team-mates to also be Player of the Season. That’s the most important thing because, if someone from the club is Player of the Season, it means that we do very, very well this season. I think we will always be happy if someone else takes an individual award because it means the team is doing well.
“Nobody in football, a team sport, wins an individual trophy just doing well himself. You have to do well but you have to have the help of your team-mates to do well. When you have an individual trophy, of course, you are doing really well and deserve the credit but that credit goes to the team because they help you do better and better.”
⚽️ The nominees for the 2021 PFA Young Men’s Players’ Player of the Year!
— Professional Footballers' Association (@PFA) June 2, 2021
@BukayoSaka87 @_DeclanRice @masongreenwood @masonmount_10 @PhilFoden @TrentAA
🥇 Who’s got the win?
#PFAawards #YPOTY@Arsenal @WestHam @ManUtd @ChelseaFC @ManCity @LFC pic.twitter.com/AJ5Vt9NXoB
In the PFA Young Player of the Year category, Mason Greenwood is up against Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham) and Bukayo Saka (Arsenal).
In the equivalent contest for the women's game, Lauren James and Ella Toone are shortlisted with Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Ellie Roebuck (Manchester City) and Ebony Salmon (Bristol City).
The nominees for the 2021 PFA Young Women’s Player’s Player of the Year!@ebony_salmon@ellatoone99@EllieRoebuck_ @lauren__hemp @laurenjamess22@niamhcharles7
— Professional Footballers' Association (@PFA) June 2, 2021
🥇Name your winner!
#PFAawards #YPOTY@RacingLouFC @bristolcitywfc @ManUtdWomen @ManCityWomen @ChelseaFCW pic.twitter.com/hDwCOI5WOk