Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne and Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo join a trio of Liverpool players among nominations for the Professional Footballers’ Association men’s players’ player of the year award.
Forwards Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, along with centre-back Virgil van Dijk are the three Reds names on the list.
Tottenham’s Harry Kane is also included but the league’s joint top scorer Son Heung-min has not been nominated.
The winner will be revealed on 9 June.
Premier League winner De Bruyne was City’s top scorer and assist provider this season with 15 goals and eight assists. He has already been voted the 2021-22 Premier League player of the season.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool dominate the list having won two domestic cups, come within one point of winning the Premier League and reached the Champions League final, only to lose to Real Madrid.
Salah, the league’s joint top scorer along with Spurs’ Son, scored 23 times and he also ended the campaign with 13 assists, which saw him secure the Premier League’s playmaker award.
Mane was Liverpool’s second highest scorer with 16.
Netherlands captain Van Dijk helped the Reds concede only 26 goals in 38 league games, the joint least with champions City.
Kane was last season’s Golden Boot winner, sharing the award with Salah, and it comes as a surprise that the England skipper, who scored 17 goals this year, makes the shortlist rather than Spurs’ top scorer Son.
Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo is perhaps another unexpected name in the nominations after Manchester United finished sixth, 13 points off Champions League qualification.
However, bar Son and Salah, Ronaldo was the Premier League’s top scorer with 18.
PFA Young Player Award
City’s Phil Foden is among six players nominated for the Professional Footballers’ Association men’s young player of the year award.
The 22-year-old, who won last season’s PFA young player award, is joined by Arsenal pair Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe in an all-English line-up.
Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, defender Reece James from Chelsea and Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey complete the shortlist.
Despite missing the first month of the season with an injury he picked up with England at Euro 2020, Foden registered nine goals and five assists for Pep Guardiola’s Premier League-winning side.
With 11 goals, Saka was Arsenal’s top scorer in the Premier League this season and also provided the joint-highest number of assists for them – tying with Alexandre Lacazette on seven.
Meanwhile, Saka’s team-mate Emile Smith Rowe, who won his first England caps this season, was second on the Gunners’ league goalscoring list with 10.
Gallagher, who has just completed a season’s loan at Crystal Palace from Chelsea, scored eight goals for Patrick Vieira’s side and made his England debut in November.
Chelsea defender James completes a family double with his nomination – as sister is on the women’s young player shortlist.
He scored five goals and provided nine assists this season, while offering defensive solidity in a side who conceded fewer goals in this season’s Premier League than every other side bar Manchester City and Liverpool.
Aston Villa’s Ramsey has flourished under the management of Steven Gerrard and established himself as a first-team regular this season, picking up the club’s players’ player of the season award.
Source: BBC