Awards season in Hollywood runs on either side of Christmas from around November to February. In football, however, April and May are when most awards are decided, coinciding with the end of the season in most European countries.
That is certainly the case in England, and with the title decided in Liverpool’s favour some time ago, and the bottom three condemned to relegation even earlier, the various player and manager awards might be the most interesting thing yet to be settled.
Most clubs have their own annual awards, whilst there are further prizes given in the different divisions, as well as the prestigious Football Writers’ Association and PFA honours. However, perhaps the most esteemed awards are the official Premier League ones. On the 15th of May, the various nominees in the different categories were announced and here we take a closer look at who might win each of the three big prizes.
EA SPORTS Player of the Season
Eight players have been out forward for the number one prize and unsurprisingly, it is champions Liverpool that are most heavily represented.
Mo Salah
Liverpool’s talismanic Egyptian has been crucial in the Reds’ charge to the title. Stats given here are all correct at the time the nominees were revealed, and Salah boasts an incredible 28 goals and 18 assists from his 36 PL outings. On both of those metrics, he is miles ahead of his nearest challenger and needs two more goal involvements to set a new record, ahead of Andy Cole and Andrew Shearer, who both clocked up 47 but in 42-match seasons. Salah won this prize back in 2018 and is expected to win it again.
Virgil van Dijk
Like Mo, Van Dijk is a previous winner of this prize, having claimed glory in 2019. Rather surprisingly, Liverpool did not win the title in either year, and when they did, in 2020, it was Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne who won. Go figure! Anyway, VVD has been a rock, as ever, and his imperious defending and exceptional leadership have helped his club claim their second PL title.
Ryan Gravenberch
Arne Slot has done a fantastic job turning Gravenberch into one of the PL’s best midfielders. Still just 22, the Dutchman has excelled in a more defensive role, whilst still chipping in with a few assists. He has missed just one game and is sure to get better in the seasons ahead – a scary thought.
Morgan Gibbs-White
Gibbs-White has looked like a good player for a number of seasons, but this has been a breakout year for him. Forest may struggle to keep him in the summer, and his blend of skill, creativity, goal contributions and strong tackling will make him a target for several clubs.
Alexander Isak
If some sides may be considering a bid for Gibbs-White, you can be sure that even more wish they could sign Newcastle’s incredible Swedish striker. Isak may opt to stay with the Magpies now Champions League football looks highly likely, whilst a fee of well over £100m limits his market. Even so, Isak is a brilliant, hard-to-categorise forward who has a little bit of everything. 23 goals, six assists and plenty of chances created, Isak has the joint-most non-penalty goals in the PL this term.
Bryan Mbeumo
Brentford’s Cameroonian attacker Mbeumo has been a bit of a surprise package this term. He has played well over 200 games for the Bees but his 18 goals this term is his best return and, in the top flight, comfortably so. With seven assists too, he has been central to Brentford’s success. And he is another who bigger clubs are looking at.
Declan Rice
Arsenal paid a huge sum for midfielder Rice and now 26, he is starting to look like a world-class player. Certainly his two goals from direct freekicks against Real Madrid gave that impression. He can act as a defensive anchor, work from box to box, or increasingly act as a number 10 and has had a superb campaign for the Gunners.
Chris Wood
Wood has been a revelation at Forest and the Kiwi has netted 20 goals, easily his best season. Aged 33 he has been deadly in front of goal, rarely missing with the relatively few chances his club have created for him, as well as providing a big physical presence for them.
Hublot Young Player of the Season
To be eligible for this honour, players must have been 23 or under at the start of the 2024/25 season. Here are the nominees:
Ryan Gravenberch
As we mentioned above, the Dutchman has had a superb season for Liverpool and at 22 qualifies for the best young player award this season.
Liam Delap
In a struggling Ipswich side, Delap showed his worth and netted 12 goals, as well as providing two assists. A physical, fiery player, he will probably move to a bigger side in the summer and stay in the division.
Anthony Elanga
Elanga is another proving his worth after a career that had seemed to stall. His pace and assists have been crucial for Forest – and for Wood.
Dean Huijsen
Bournemouth bought 20-year-old defender Huijsen for around £14m and his performances mean that clubs are queuing up to meet his £50m buyout clause. A star in the making.
Cole Palmer
Palmer flew out of the traps at the start of this season and although his output stalled, he still has 15 goals and eight assists to his name. A classy, down-to-earth footballer, the 23-year-old has a lot to offer Chelsea and England.
Joao Pedro
Another off the Brighton conveyor belt, Brazilian Pedro has notched 10 goals and added six assists.
Morgan Rodgers
The powerful runs of Rodgers often come from a central position and he has excelled in his first full campaign with Villa. Expect him to better his tally of eight goals and nine assists under the astute Unai Emery.
William Saliba
Saliba is considered among the best defenders in the world and he only turned 24 in March. Fast, strong and a brilliant reader of the game, he may attract attention from the likes of Real Madrid.
Barclays Manager of the Season
There are five managers in the mix for this prize, which may be a little excessive given it represents 25% of the total. Nonetheless, here are the possible winners:
- Arne Slot
- Nuno Espirito Santo
- Eddie Howe
- Vitor Pereira
- Thomas Frank
All five managers have done a fine job but we suspect this is a toss-up between Slot and Nuno. Many predicted Forest would be relegated and yet they could still qualify for the Champions League. As for Slot, it was thought that following Jurgen Klopp might be impossible but the Dutchman has made it look effortless. We wouldn’t be surprised if it is a clean sweep for Liverpool, with Slot winning this, Salah the main prize and Gravenberch the Young Player honour.