Bruno Fernandes has been voted the English Premier League Player of the Season for the first time, after being in brilliant form for Manchester United throughout the 2025/2026 campaign.
Fernandes has been the key player in a resurgent Red Devils side who have secured third place and a UEFA Champions League spot.
The Portuguese has directly contributed to 28 goals — scoring eight and assisting a joint-record 20 — in 37 Premier League appearances so far.
His 20th assist, for Bryan Mbeumo’s goal in a 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest, moved Fernandes level with ex-Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry for the most Premier League assists in one season.
“I’m very happy for the assist and for the win, and to finish the season on a high,” Fernandes said after his record-equalling feat.
“I got to 20, let’s see [if I can get to 21], we have one more game. It’s the highest I’ve done in the Premier League so I am very happy with it.”
Fernandes could yet emerge as the Premier League’s all-time assist king should he set up a goal in tomorrow’s final match of the 2025/2026 campaign at Brighton.
“The 31-year-old has written himself into the history books already, by surpassing David Beckham’s status as Man Utd’s top creator,” the Premier League wrote.
“Beckham previously held the club’s record for the most assists in a single Premier League season, setting up 15 goals in the 1999/2000 campaign.
“Overall, Fernandes has created 132 chances this season, the most in the Premier League and an incredible 43 chances more than the next-best, Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai.”
In March, Fernandes was voted Premier League Player of the Month, equalling the number of times his former Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo won the award (six).
He was recently named the men’s Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association — Fernandes is the first Man Utd player to win the FWA award since Wayne Rooney back in 2009/2010.
The coveted Player of the Season award has been running since 1994/1995 and Fernandes is the seventh player to receive it while representing Manchester United, following in the footsteps of Peter Schmeichel, Dwight Yorke, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ronaldo, Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney.
Fernandes has won the 2025/2026 award after votes from supporters were combined with those of a panel of experts.
He topped an eight-man shortlist that also included Arsenal’s Gabriel, David Raya and Declan Rice, Manchester City duo Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo, plus Brentford striker Igor Thiago, and Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.
