Bruno Fernandes named PFA Player of the Year after record-breaking 21-assist season

Nine goals, 21 assists and a record nobody had ever touched before in the Premier League. With those numbers behind him, Bruno Fernandes was never going to walk away empty-handed, and in the end he swept all three major awards.

The Portuguese international, captain of Manchester United, picked up the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year award on Tuesday, edging out heavyweight competition in Erling Haaland and Declan Rice. It's no ordinary honor: the winner is chosen by the players themselves, the same ones Fernandes lines up against every weekend. That detail, being recognized by his peers, was something the midfielder said meant a great deal to him.

"Obviously I'm very proud in this moment. These are the players you go up against on the pitch, and it's not easy to vote for someone who plays against you, so it's a really good moment," Fernandes said as he picked up the trophy.

The 21 assists he racked up last season broke every previous mark for a single Premier League campaign. Add in his 9 goals, and it's easy to see why he was once again the driving force behind a United side that didn't always hit its stride as a team. With this award, he also became the first Red Devils player to win the PFA prize since Wayne Rooney back in 2010, fifteen years ago.

The PFA gong was simply the final touch. Bruno had already picked up the Football Writers' Association (FWA) award and the Premier League's own Player of the Season honor, and he was named to the Team of the Season by both the league and the PFA. A near-perfect year, with barely any room for debate on the individual front.

O'Reilly, the night's other big story

The ceremony had another standout: Nico O'Reilly, Manchester City's left back, took home the Young Player of the Year award. The defender had the kind of season that changes a career: he won the FA Cup and the League Cup with the Citizens and also started for England at the 2026 World Cup.

I had a great season, I'm really proud of it. I won two trophies with my club and played at the World Cup with my country. I'm buzzing with how it all turned outNico O'Reilly

And as you'd expect from the league's champions, Arsenal were the most represented club in the Team of the Season, with five players included: David Raya, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice, the backbone of a side that ended up lifting the title.