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The 'PFA Players' Player of the Year' award is one of the most prestigious individual accolades for players plying their trade in England. The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) nominates the best footballers of the year and a winner is chosen amongst them based on votes.
Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne is the current holder of the 'PFA Players’ Player of the Year' award. He also won the accolade in the 2019-20 season.
Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), De Bruyne (Manchester City), and the Liverpool trio of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Sadio Mane have been nominated for this year’s award.
The result is set to be announced five days later, on June 7.
Before the victor is announced, we will take a quick look at how the nominees fared in the 2021-22 season and try to predict the winner.
Now, without further ado, let us look at the six favorites to win the 2021-22 'PFA Players’ Player of the Year' award:
#6 Harry Kane - Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane had a lackluster start to the Premier League campaign, scoring just once in his first 13 games. Things took a turn for the better after Antonio Conte’s arrival in November.
Kane started looking a lot more expressive and turned his season around for the better. He ultimately finished the 2021-22 Premier League campaign with 17 goals and nine assists, helping Spurs clinch fourth spot ahead of north London rivals Arsenal.
The English skipper also scored four goals in four Europa Conference League appearances, once in the League Cup (five games) and thrice in the FA Cup (three games).
His stats may not be the best in the division, but his goals have allowed Spurs to secure Champions League football for next season.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United
Manchester United endured a torrid 2021-22 season. Not only did they fail to win a single trophy, but they also did not manage to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League. Having finished in sixth place, the Red Devils are set to feature in the Europa League next season.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the only bright spark amid the doom and gloom of the Red Devils' lacklustre campaign. The veteran forward scored 18 goals in the Premier League, finishing the campaign as the division’s third-leading goalscorer, behind Mohamed Salah and Heung-min Son.
He also scored six goals in seven matches in the UEFA Champions League, once again emerging as the club’s leading goalscorer in the competition.
Ronaldo's chances of winning the award look slim, but he certainly deserves his spot on the list after ensuring European football for United next season.
#4 Virgil van Dijk - Liverpool
With him missing the majority of the 2020-21 campaign due to an ACL rupture, all eyes were on Virgil van Dijk in the 2021-22 season.
The Dutchman kicked off the campaign with a string of excellent performances, assuring that the injury didn’t take a toll on his long-term fitness and quality.
Van Dijk, who won the 'PFA Players’ Player of the Year' award in 2018-19, was easily Liverpool’s most influential defender in the 2021-22 season. Without him leading the line, the Reds were not as solid and looked susceptible to silly errors.
Van Dijk featured in 53 games across competitions in the 2021-22 season, scoring thrice.
In the Premier League alone, he attempted 16 tackles (63 percent success rate), made 31 interceptions, recorded 107 clearances, and won a whopping 147 duels.
#3 Sadio Mane - Liverpool
Liverpool forward Sadio Mane was in superb form in the 2021-22 campaign and proved to be instrumental to the Reds’ strong quadruple run.
The Senegal international scored 16 goals in the Premier League, ending the season as the division’s fifth-highest scorer. He also provided two assists and created nine big chances.
Mane’s excellent performances extended to the Champions League as well, with him bagging five goals (13 games) in the tournament.
Mane’s best individual performance, however, did not come in either of those competitions. It came in the FA Cup semi-final clash against Manchester City in mid-April.
The versatile forward scored a decisive brace to help the Reds to a 3-2 win against Pep Guardiola’s side.
He also played well in the final and calmly dispatched his penalty kick in the shootout victory over Chelsea.
#2 Kevin De Bruyne - Manchester City
Arguably the best midfielder on the planet, Kevin De Bruyne is one of the favorites to win the 'PFA Players’ Player of the Year' award this year.
The Belgian midfield maestro scored goals, provided assists, and dominated midfield play like no other in the 2021-22 campaign. With him firing on all cylinders, Manchester City almost always looked like an unstoppable force.
De Bruyne bagged 15 goals and eight assists in the Premier League in the 2021-22 season, emerging as City’s leading scorer and assist provider. Had it not been for his individual brilliance, the Citizens probably would not have been able to narrowly beat (one point) Liverpool in the Premier League title race.
De Bruyne, who has already won the 'PFA Player of the Year' award twice (2019-20, 2020-21), was chosen as the 'Premier League Player of the Year'.
It would be interesting to see if the PFA also shares the same views.
#1 Mohamed Salah - Liverpool
Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah enjoyed an excellent 2021-22 campaign. The Egyptian scored 23 goals and provided 13 assists in the Premier League, finishing the season as the division's joint-top scorer (alongside Spurs' Son Heung-min) and leading assist provider.
Salah also scored eight goals in 13 UEFA Champions League matches, playing a part in the Reds reaching the final.
In May, Salah was chosen as the 'Football Writers' Association’s Men’s Player of the Year' for his excellent performances in English football. Given the way he has performed this season, we expect him to add the PFA award to his collection as well.
Salah has already won the award once (2017-18) and could join an elite community if he wins it again this month.
Only Mark Hughes, Gareth Bale, Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kevin De Bruyne have won the award more than once.
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