Man City trio on PFA Player of the Year shortlist

Ian Watson

Manchester City trio Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy Sane and David Silva have been shortlisted for the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year award for the 2017-18 season.

Their brilliance in City’s outstanding Premier League campaign to date has been recognised by their peers, with Tottenham striker Harry Kane, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea making up the six-man shortlist for the award.

The winner will be announced at the PFA’s annual awards ceremony in London on Sunday, April 22.

Sane and Kane are also on the shortlist for the Young Player of the Year award. They are joined in that category by Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson and Blues forward Raheem Sterling, Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford and exciting Fulham prospect Ryan Sessegnon.

De Bruyne has been outstanding in City’s march towards the Premier League title. His technical quality has been a key component in the slick football played by Pep Guardiola’s side, and heading into the weekend the Belgian led the top flight for assists with 15.

He has also weighed in with seven goals.

Lightning-quick Germany winger Sane is second in the assists table behind De Bruyne with 12 and has also scored nine times in the Premier League.

Silva is the only one of the three to taste Premier League glory with City in the past, having been part of the squad which lifted the trophy in 2012 and 2014.

The Spain playmaker has eight goals and 11 assists to his name in a City team which has dominated the competition this year.

Kane and Salah had a phenomenal 54 Premier League goals between them heading into the weekend.

England striker Kane reached 100 career Premier League goals in February while Salah has enjoyed a stellar debut season at Anfield and went into the weekend’s action needing just one more goal to reach 40 in all competitions for the Reds.

The Egypt star scored in both legs as Liverpool knocked out City to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League earlier this week.

De Gea has enjoyed another excellent campaign for United, and will be hoping to become the first goalkeeper to win the award since Peter Shilton in 1978.

His City counterpart Ederson has proved to be an excellent addition for his club after goalkeeper proved a problem position for Guardiola last season. His reward is a place on the Young Player of the Year shortlist.

City team-mate Sterling has been impressive in front of goal this term, and his 16 league strikes place him joint fourth in the competition.

Sessegnon is the youngest player on the list at 17. He has been instrumental in Fulham’s push to reach the Premier League, scoring 14 times in the Sky Bet Championship.