LONDON (AP) – Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was voted England’s player of the year by soccer writers, while Manchester City striker Khadijah “Bunny” Shaw won the women’s award for the second time on Friday.
Fernandes provided an unprecedented 19 assists for United in the Premier League, helping the team return to the Champions League and earning him the honor bestowed by the Football Writers’ Association towards the end of the season.
The Portuguese midfielder won 45% of the vote from more than 900 FWA members, ahead of Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
He is the first Manchester United player to win this award since Wayne Rooney in 2010, and it is the world’s oldest individual football award, having been held since 1947.
Shaw beat Arsenal’s Alessia Russo and Chelsea’s Lauren James to win the award after scoring a division-high 19 goals in 21 games to lead Man City to their first Women’s Super League title in 10 years.
The show also won in 2024.
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
