Bruno Fernandes has capped a remarkable individual campaign by being named the Premier League's Player of the Season, the governing body confirming the award on Saturday as the final weekend of the top-flight calendar approaches.
The Manchester United captain, who earlier this month collected the Football Writers' Association men's Player of the Year, completes a dominant personal double that few could argue with. He is the first United player to win the Premier League's premier individual prize since Nemanja Vidic lifted it back in 2011 — a wait of fourteen years that says as much about what this season meant to Old Trafford as it does about the Portugal midfielder's extraordinary form.
A Season Defined by Creation
The numbers behind Fernandes's campaign are difficult to overstate. He equalled the all-time Premier League record for assists in a single season when he set up his 20th goal of the term against Nottingham Forest last weekend — a landmark that places him in the company of the very best creative players this division has ever seen.
Add eight goals across 37 appearances, and you have a midfielder who has directly contributed to 28 Premier League goals. United's return to the Champions League next season — they finish third in the table — owes a significant debt to their skipper's consistency.
Perhaps the most telling statistic, though, is chance creation. Fernandes has created 132 chances in the league this season, more than any other player. The second-placed creator, Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai, trails him by 43. That is not a gap; it is a gulf.
Vote and Panel Agreed
The award is decided by combining public votes with the judgements of a panel of football experts, and the noises out of both camps pointed firmly in one direction. Fernandes saw off a shortlist that carried genuine weight: Arsenal's David Raya, Gabriel and Declan Rice were all recognised for their part in a Gunners side that pushed hard at the top of the table. Erling Haaland represented Manchester City, Antoine Semenyo flew the flag for Brentford, and Morgan Gibbs-White earned his place on the list after a fine season at Nottingham Forest.
Solid candidates, every one. But Fernandes was the standout, and the combined vote reflected that clearly.
What Comes Next
United travel to Brighton for their final league fixture on Sunday afternoon, a game that carries little in the way of table implications but will give Fernandes the chance to sign off a personal season for the ages in front of travelling supporters who have had precious little to celebrate in recent years.
Questions about his long-term future at the club have circulated in the background throughout the campaign, as they tend to with players operating at this level. For now, though, the focus is firmly on the prize in his hands — and on a season that has reminded everyone at Old Trafford and beyond precisely what this player is capable of when everything clicks.
- Assists: 20 — equalling the Premier League single-season record
- Goals: 8
- Chances created: 132 — the most in the Premier League this season
- League appearances: 37
For a club navigating one of the most turbulent periods in its recent history, Fernandes has been the constant. That the wider game has now formally recognised it feels entirely right.
Frequently asked
- Who won the Premier League Player of the Season 2024-25?
- Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes won the Premier League Player of the Season award for 2024-25, combining a record-equalling 20 assists with eight goals across 37 appearances.
- When was the last time a Manchester United player won Premier League Player of the Season?
- The last Manchester United player to win the award before Fernandes was defender Nemanja Vidic, who claimed it back in 2011 — a gap of fourteen years.
- How many assists did Bruno Fernandes get in the Premier League this season?
- Fernandes registered 20 assists in the Premier League this season, equalling the all-time single-season record. He also created 132 chances in total, 43 more than any other player in the division.