Bruno Fernandes and Khadija Shaw land PFA Player of the Year awards

Nico O’Reilly and Olivia Smith collect young players’ honours

Prefer the Guardian on GoogleManchester United’s captain Bruno Fernandes has been crowned Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year as Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw won the women’s award for the second time.

Playmaker Fernandes broke the record for Premier League assists during an outstanding 2025-26 campaign, setting up 21 goals as he surpassed Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

The 31-year-old also scored nine times as United overcome a shaky first half of the campaign to finish third in the Premier League under Michael Carrick to earn a Champions League return.

Fernandes was pleased to have been voted the winner by his fellow professionals. He said: “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 Portugal international is the club’s first winner since Wayne Rooney took home the trophy in 2009-10, and adds to his Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award from May.

Shaw, who was also recognised by the FWA, scooped the PFA Women’s Player of the Year award for the second time. The 29-year-old claimed the trophy in 2023-24 and won it again having scored 21 goals on the way to a third consecutive Golden Boot and her maiden Women’s Super League title.

Arsenal’s Olivia Smith picked up the women’s PFA Young Player of the Year title for the second campaign running, having won the 2025 crown for her exploits at Liverpool before continuing her form in the capital.

Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly was named men’s PFA Young Player of the Year following an outstanding campaign that ended with the versatile talent helping England to win World Cup bronze. The 21-year-old was part of the PFA Premier League Team of the Year along with City teammates Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo.

O’Reilly said: “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 five representatives in David Raya, Gabriel, William Saliba, Jurriën Timber and Declan Rice, with Player of the Year Fernandes of United and Brentford’s Igor Thiago completing the team.

The PFA WSL Team of the Year featured three players from triumphant City, with Shaw joined by teammates Kerstin Casparij and Yui Hasegawa.

Mariona Caldentey, last year’s PFA Women’s Player of the Year, was joined in the XI by fellow Arsenal players Emily Fox and Alessia Russo. Tottenham defender Toko Koga and Manchester United’s Jess Park were also included in the team, as were the Chelsea trio of Hannah Hampton, Ellie Carpenter and Lauren James.

Hayden Hackney, now of Everton, was named Championship PFA Players’ Player of the Year for his performances for defeated play-off finalists Middlesbrough.

Dom Ballard, who scored a jaw-dropping effort for new club Bristol City at the weekend, collected the League One award for a goal-laden season at Leyton Orient.

Swindon striker Aaron Drinan’s performances saw him collect the League Two award, while Lily Crosthwaite of Birmingham took the WSL2 player accolade.

Sir Kenny Dalglish and Karen Carney received the PFA merit awards in recognition of their contribution to football. Dalglish enjoyed a success-laden career as a player with Celtic and Liverpool, and is Scotland’s most capped performer having represented his country on 102 occasions. The 75-year-old, who confirmed in June he was undergoing treatment for cancer, went on to enjoy a successful managerial career, leading Liverpool to three league titles before masterminding Blackburn’s Premier League triumph.

Carney played 144 times for England, including being part of the Lionesses squad which finished third at the 2015 World Cup. Having come through the ranks at Birmingham, Carney won the quadruple with Arsenal in 2007 as well as a league and FA Cup double with Chelsea in 2018.