Bruno Fernandes named player of the season

Bruno Fernandes was named the Premier League’s Player of the Season on Saturday, capping a campaign in which the Manchester United captain helped drive the club to third place and Champions League qualification. The Premier League said Fernandes won the EA SPORTS award for the first time after recording 28 direct goal contributions in 37 league appearances. Manchester United’s website also carried the announcement on May 23 and published club footage of Fernandes receiving the trophy at Old Trafford. Social media posts circulating the same day showed teammates applauding him as he lifted the award. ### Which award did Bruno Fernandes win on May 23? The Premier League said on May 23 that Fernandes had been voted its Player of the Season for 2025/26. The award is given to the standout performer in the league campaign, and Fernandes became the first Manchester United player to win it since Nemanja Vidic in 2011, according to coverage carried by Sky Sports and other outlets. Manchester United’s official site listed “Fernandes named Premier League Player of the Season” among its lead stories on Saturday. Club video clips and social posts showed Fernandes holding the trophy with teammates gathered around him at the training ground and at Old Trafford. ### What numbers drove the decision? The Premier League said Fernandes scored eight goals and supplied 20 assists in 37 appearances. The league said that assist total matched the single-season Premier League record shared by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. AP reported that Fernandes’ season helped United secure Champions League qualification. The Premier League described him as the “driving force” in United’s return to the competition after the club secured third place with one league match still to play. ### How does this fit into Fernandes’ season at Manchester United? Manchester United’s player profile describes Fernandes as a four-time Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year winner, underlining how central he has been since arriving from Sporting in January 2020. Club coverage in recent weeks also showed Fernandes collecting another individual honor, with United publishing a separate item on Friday saying he had received the Football Writers’ award. The club’s own media has highlighted the scale of his creative output. MUTV promoted a feature on Saturday inviting supporters to watch all 20 of Fernandes’ assists from the 2025/26 campaign, reflecting the role he played as United’s main creator. ### Why were fans arguing about it online? X posts shared on May 23 focused on two things at once: Fernandes receiving the trophy and the contrast between his individual season and Manchester United’s broader results. Replies under one widely shared post questioned why a player from a team that did not win the title had taken the award, while others pointed to his assist total and his role in securing a top-three finish. Those reactions tracked a familiar split in end-of-season awards voting. The Premier League’s criteria center on the individual campaign, while online discussion often folds in team silverware and title races. ### What comes next for Fernandes and United? Manchester United play Brighton on Sunday in their final Premier League match of the 2025/26 season, according to the club’s fixture coverage. The Premier League said Fernandes reached his 20-assist mark with a game to spare, leaving him set to close the season as one of its most productive creators. Saturday’s award leaves Fernandes with one more league appearance before the campaign formally ends. United’s website said the club had already secured Champions League football, and Sunday’s match at Brighton is the next scheduled step in Fernandes’ season. (premierleague.com)