Bruno Fernandes (number 8) is congratulated by teammates after equaling the assist record, in Manchester United's 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford, Manchester, England on 17/5. *Photo: Reuters*

Despite Manchester United not securing a title this season, Fernandes distinguished himself with remarkable individual achievements. He matched the premier league's assist record with 20, putting him alongside Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. Additionally, he scored 8 goals, contributing to the team's third-place finish and securing a spot in next season's champions league.

Fernandes also created 132 goal-scoring opportunities, a higher tally than any other player in the premier league. Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool ranked second with 89 chances created.

The player of the season award is determined by a combination of online voting, ballots from the 20 premier league club captains, and an expert panel. Established in the 1994-1995 season, no player has won the accolade three times. Cristiano Ronaldo, De Bruyne, Henry, and Nemanja Vidic have each claimed the "player of the year" award twice.

Fernandes is the first Manchester United player to earn this distinction since central defender Vidic in 2011. This year's other contenders included goalkeeper David Raya, central defender Gabriel, midfielder Declan Rice (Arsenal), forward Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City), forward Igor Thiago (Brentford), and forward Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest).

Earlier this month, Fernandes also received the "premier league player of the season 2025-2026" award, as voted by the Football Writers' Association (FWA). He was the sole Manchester United player nominated, securing 45% of the votes from over 900 FWA members.

Fernandes and his teammates will play their final match of the season away at Brighton on Sunday 24/5.

Since joining Manchester United in 2020, Fernandes has made numerous individual contributions. However, he has yet to win any major titles beyond the FA Cup and League Cup, leading to ongoing debate about his overall impact.

Despite this, Paul Pogba offered a positive assessment of Fernandes' playing style. "We often talk about Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modric, or Mesut Ozil," Pogba stated. "But statistically, Bruno has scored more goals than Frank Lampard in a season while playing in the same number 8 or 10 role, and he also has more assists. He is everywhere, constantly active, plays intelligently, with good one-touch and two-touch play, and he can finish."

Ha Do