Bruno Fernandes has been honored with the Premier League’s 2025/26 Player of the Season award, following an exceptional performance that spearheaded Manchester United’s resurgence into the Champions League. The 31-year-old captain of United netted eight goals and, remarkably, matched the record for most assists in a single league season with 20, a feat previously achieved by Arsenal icon Thierry Henry and former Manchester City maestro Kevin de Bruyne.
Fernandes appeared in 34 league matches this season, playing a pivotal role in Michael Carrick’s successful interim management, which subsequently led to his permanent appointment. He is the first player from Manchester United to win this prestigious award since Nemanja Vidić in 2011, when Vidić secured his final title with the club.
This recognition marks the Portuguese international as the first United player in 15 years to receive the Player of the Season title. Earlier this month, he was also named the Football Writers’ Association Men’s Player of the Year. Fernandes has been a prolific chance creator, tallying 132 chances this season, the highest among all Premier League players. He stands on the verge of breaking the assist record, needing just one more during tomorrow’s final match against Brighton.
The recipient of this esteemed award is determined by a combination of public votes and assessments from a panel of football experts. Carrick, whose tenure as manager has been solidified with a two-year contract extending until 2028, with an option for an additional year, largely credits Fernandes’s outstanding contributions for successfully guiding the club back to elite European competition.
