#Letakan iklan disini
Football May 09, 2026

FWA Footballer of the Year 2025/26: Man Utd midfielder Bruno Fernandes and Man City striker Khadija Shaw claim awards

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
FWA Footballer of the Year 2025/26: Man Utd midfielder Bruno Fernandes and Man City striker Khadija Shaw claim awards

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City striker Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw have been voted the 2025/26 Football Writers' Association Footballers of the Year.

Fernandes becomes the first player at Old Trafford to win the award since Wayne Rooney in 2009/10 after recording eight goals and 19 assists in the Premier League this season.

He joins an illustrious list of United players to secure the accolade, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Teddy Sheringham, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, George Best, Bobby Charlton and Johnny Carey among those who have previously received the honour.

The 31-year-old playmaker needs just one assist in the remaining three games to match Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne's record for most assists in a top-flight campaign (20) after already helping United secure their return to the Champions League.

Shaw joins Sam Kerr and Fran Kirby to secure the award for a second time, after previously winning in the 2023/24 season.

The Jamaica striker has scored 19 goals in 21 Women's Super League games this season, helping City secure their first title in 10 years and is on course to win the WSL Golden Boot for a third consecutive season.

, with the striker eager to explore her options despite winning the title.

The 29-year-old striker has scored a remarkable 110 goals in 133 appearances for City since joining from Bordeaux in 2021 and there is believed to be interest in Shaw from Chelsea among other clubs, including from the USA.

Your Site' Adam Bate:

Declan Rice could power Arsenal over the line to a historic title win. There is still time for Erling Haaland to fire Manchester City there. But Bruno Fernandes' case has already been made. He has been the exceptional player in the Premier League this season.

With 19 assists already in the competition, the Manchester United captain is one shy of the record set by Thierry Henry and equalled by Kevin De Bruyne. Whether he surpasses them or not, his creativity in this campaign has been on another level to everyone else.

Fernandes has created 120 chances this season, according to Opta. He topped the Premier League charts in all but one of his previous five complete seasons at United - one behind Trent Alexander-Arnold in the other - but this is already his highest total.

For context, it is almost double the number of chances created by the second man on the list. And while his ability to make things happen from set-pieces is a feature of his game - and of this season - he has created more in open play than anyone else in total.

There will be critics even now. The customary abuse at away grounds. Former players who question him. But any suggestion that Fernandes lacks leadership qualities should have been dismissed long ago. He has been a victim of United's malaise not the cause.

Like Bryan Robson before him, Fernandes has been a shining light in an awkward period in the club's history. But his own standards have remained. Both the supporters and his team-mates appreciate that. "I feel like he deserves so much," said Matheus Cunha recently.

"He helps everyone. He is a beautiful captain for the club. He passed through hard moments and he deserves to have these beautiful moments also. What a player, what a guy. He deserves the Player of the Year." The Football Writers' Association agree.

Tags:

football news

Share this article

Related Posts

Bukayo Saka returning to top form for trophy-chasing Arsenal thanks in part to Ben White's service - The Radar

Bukayo Saka returning to top form for trophy-chasing Arsenal thanks in part to Ben White's service - The Radar

Welcome to The Radar, a Your Site column in which uses a blend of data and opinion to shed light on need-to-know stories from up and down the Premie...

Alex Jimenez: Bournemouth drop defender amid investigation into social media posts

Alex Jimenez: Bournemouth drop defender amid investigation into social media posts

Bournemouth have released a statement confirming they have dropped Alex Jimenez for their game against Fulham this weekend.The club say this is in rel...

Mikel Arteta: Arsenal boss responds to 'celebration police' over Champions League celebrations after Wayne Rooney dig

Mikel Arteta: Arsenal boss responds to 'celebration police' over Champions League celebrations after Wayne Rooney dig

Mikel Arteta said he will put criticism of Arsenal's celebrations following their Champions League semi-final victory over Atletico Madrid "where it b...

Tottenham and West Ham in two-way Premier League relegation scrap with three games left of the season

Tottenham and West Ham in two-way Premier League relegation scrap with three games left of the season

And then there were two. It seems either West Ham or Tottenham will be the final team relegated from the Premier League this season, and, with three g...

Virgil van Dijk: Liverpool captain ready to leave club with approach from European club 'imminent' - Paper Talk

Virgil van Dijk: Liverpool captain ready to leave club with approach from European club 'imminent' - Paper Talk

The top stories and transfer rumours from Saturday's newspapers...Virgil van Dijk could be ready to leave Liverpool in the summer and is facing an imm...

Hull City 0-0 Millwall: Lions have late strike chalked off in first leg of Championship play-off semi-final

Hull City 0-0 Millwall: Lions have late strike chalked off in first leg of Championship play-off semi-final

Hull City and Millwall played out a goalless draw in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final to leave the tie on a knife edge.A largel...