Bruno Fernandes and Bunny Shaw Crowned PFA Players' Players of the Year

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has been honored with the men's PFA Players' Player of the Year award for the 2025/26 season. Meanwhile, Manchester City's Bunny Shaw has claimed the women's award for the second time.

Fernandes, a remarkable playmaker, set a new all-time record for Premier League assists during the outstanding 2025-26 campaign, contributing 21 assists and surpassing previous records held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

The 31-year-old also found the net nine times, playing a crucial role as Manchester United recovered from a challenging first half of the season to secure third place in the Premier League under Michael Carrick, earning them a return to the Champions League.

Fernandes expressed his pride at being recognized by his peers: "It is obviously a very proud moment. They are the ones you go on the pitch against and it's probably not easy to vote for someone you play against, so it is a very good moment."

The Portuguese international is the first Manchester United player to win this accolade since Wayne Rooney in the 2009/10 season. This latest award adds to his Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year title, which he received in May.

Manchester City's prolific forward, Shaw, who was also recognized by the FWA, secured the PFA Women's Player of the Year award for the second consecutive year. Having previously won the trophy in 2023-24, she earned it again this season, scoring 21 goals to clinch her second consecutive Golden Boot and her first Women's Super League title.

O'Reilly and Smith Scoop Young Player Awards

Arsenal's Olivia Smith received the women's PFA Young Player of the Year title for the second season in a row. After a stellar performance for Liverpool in 2025, she continued her impressive form after moving to the capital.

Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly was named the men's PFA Young Player of the Year following an exceptional season. His versatility was evident as he also played a key role in England's World Cup bronze medal victory.

The 21-year-old O'Reilly was also included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year, alongside his City teammates Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki, and Antoine Semenyo.

O'Reilly shared his delight: "I had a great season. I'm very proud of the season I had. I won two trophies with my club and managed to play at the World Cup with my country. I'm over the moon how it turned out."

Champions Arsenal had a strong representation in the Premier League Team of the Year with five players: David Raya, Gabriel, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber, and Declan Rice. They were joined by Player of the Year Fernandes from Manchester United and Brentford striker Igor Thiago.

The PFA WSL Team of the Year featured three players from the title-winning Manchester City side: Shaw, Kerstin Casparij, and Yui Hasegawa.

Mariona Caldentey, the previous PFA Women's Player of the Year, was named in the XI alongside her Arsenal teammates Emily Fox and Alessia Russo.

Tottenham defender Toko Koga and Manchester United's Jess Park were also selected for the WSL Team of the Year. The Chelsea trio of Hannah Hampton, Ellie Carpenter, and Lauren James completed the lineup.

EFL Awards Revealed as Dalglish Picks Up Merit Prize

In the EFL awards, former Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackey, who recently transferred to Premier League side Everton for £24 million, won the Championship PFA Players' Player of the Year.

Dom Ballard, who joined Bristol City from Leyton Orient earlier this summer, was the recipient of the award in League One. Swindon striker Aaron Drinan took home the League Two prize.

Sir Kenny Dalglish and Karen Carney were honored with the PFA merit awards in recognition of their significant contributions to football.

Dalglish enjoyed a highly successful playing career with Celtic and Liverpool and holds the record for the most capped Scottish player with 102 appearances. The 75-year-old, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment, also had a distinguished managerial career, leading Liverpool to three league titles and masterminding Blackburn's Premier League triumph.

Carney represented England 144 times, including being part of the Lionesses squad that secured third place at the 2015 World Cup. After emerging through the ranks at Birmingham, Carney achieved a quadruple with Arsenal in 2007 and a league and FA Cup double with Chelsea in 2018.