City’s De Bruyne Named Premier League Player of the Year

City’s De Bruyne Named Premier League Player of the Year

Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne has been named the Premier League player of the season.

The 29-year-old scored 13 goals as City finished second in the top flight behind champions Liverpool.

De Bruyne also matched a competition record of 20 assists, equalling former Arsenal forward Thierry Henry’s record for a single season set in 2002-03.

He is the third Belgian in the past nine seasons to win the award after Vincent Kompany and Eden Hazard.

The winner was decided after votes from the public on the EA Sports website were combined with those of the 20 Premier League club captains and a panel of football experts.

The shortlist also included Liverpool trio Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson and Sadio Mane, Southampton forward Danny Ings, Leicester striker Jamie Vardy and Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope.

On Saturday, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was named the Premier League manager of the season.

Meanwhile, De Bruyne while reviewing City’s defeat by Lyon last Saturday insisted that “we need to learn” after their third consecutive Champions League quarter-final exit.

Moussa Dembele scored two late goals as Lyon beat City 3-1to set up a semi-final with Bayern Munich.

“It’s a different year, same stuff,” De Bruyne – who had equalised after Maxwel Cornet’s opener – told BT Sport.

City, who finished second in the Premier League, end the season with the EFL Cup as their only major trophy.

City have lost to Monaco in the last 16 and then against Liverpool and Tottenham in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in Pep Guardiola’s time in charge.

“The first half wasn’t good enough. In the second half we played well and had them under pressure,” De Bruyne said. “We were more offensive. Lyon didn’t really create but we need to learn,” concludes the Belgian.

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