Championship Sunday Eve has brought a pair of news items for Manchester City football club. Phil Foden has been named Premier League Young Player of the Season for a second year in a row. Also, Kevin de Bruyne has been named Premier League Player of the Season for a second time. City head into the final day one point of ahead of Liverpool in the Premier League standings, so it’s looking like it’s going to be a silverware and trophy laden weekend for the MCFC pair.
Foden,21, has netted 14 goals and assisted 11 in all competitions so far this season. He’s widely considered one of the faces of the franchise, in the future, for the England national team too.
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Foden said: “I am very proud to have won this award for a second season in a row. There are so many talented young players in the Premier League and it is a real honour to win it again. I have been really happy with my performances this season and it has been great to contribute to this team in what will hopefully be another successful year for us all.
“To be nominated alongside so many great players is an honour as they have all had great seasons for their clubs. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to my development this season.”
Folden most likely would not have won the award had Mason Greenwood of Manchester United not gotten into serious legal trouble and indefinitely suspended.
You’ve heard the tapes on Greenwood, so you already know what she stands accused of doing. But if Greenwood had stayed out of serious trouble and thus available for selection, he most likely would have been on course to produce the numbers that would have seen him claim the award over Folden.
Shifting gears to De Bruyne, the 30-year-old Belgian has claimed the award for the second time, having previously won the accolade during the 2019-20 season. He has 19 goals and 13 assists in all competitions so far this season.
De Bruyne said: “To win this award for a second time is an achievement that I am really proud of.
“There is so much quality in the Premier League and it is a pleasure to be nominated with so many other great players who have had incredible seasons for their clubs.
“I think my performances this season have been good and I am happy that I have been able to contribute with goals and assists throughout the season. Thank you to all of the staff,
coaches and especially my teammates because without them this wouldn’t be possible.”
Congratulations to Phil Folden and Kevin De Bruyne on their awards.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.