The PFA Players’ Player of the Year shortlist has been released, with a shock snub of a Liverpool star despite leading the club to Premier League glory.
The list, voted by the players, includes Mo Salah, who equalled the record for most amount of goal contributions in a single Premier League with 47 and won the Golden Boot, making him the clear favourite for the award.
A second Liverpool member, Argentina’s Alexis Mac Allister, also made the list, after his crucial role in the Reds' second Premier League triumph.
However, despite featuring in 37 of Liverpool’s Premier League fixtures this year, where the Merseyside club finished 10 points clear of 2nd place Arsenal, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk failed to make the list.
Virgil van Dijk did not make the list for the PFA Players' Player of the Year despite captaining Liverpool to their second Premier League trophy
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The Dutch star won the award in 2019, the year before his first Premier League title, but has failed to even make the shortlist on this occasion.
Van Dijk has widely been regarded as the best defender in the league this campaign. However, no defenders made the list in a telling sign that players feel forward's are more worthy of individual recognition.
Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes made the cut, with the latter a huge factor in the Red Devil’s league safety, contributing eight goals and 11 assists.
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Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes made the list despite finishing 15th
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Chelsea’s Cole Palmer made the cut too, after leading the Blues to a top-four finish and back into the Champions League.
The 23-year-old scored just three goals since the turn of the year but still played a pivotal role in Chelsea’s second-half form.
Finally, Alexander Isak joins Palmer after his terrific season.
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The Swedish international fired Newcastle into the Champions League places as well, scoring 23 league goals, seeing his market value soar subsequently.
Newcastle will be hoping to keep the forward this summer and bolster their squad ahead of their upcoming European campaign.
Notably, along with van Dijk, Manchester City's Erling Haaland missed out on the list after scoring 22 league goals.
With van Dijk’s exclusion from the list, fans took to social media to express their confusion, particularly against some players who were included.
“Bruno led his team to 17th is here. Van Dijk led his team to First is not here,” one fan wrote.
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Virgil van Dijk previously won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award in 2019
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Another simply added: “Virgil should’ve been there.”
A third said: “No van Dijk is outrageous he is EASILY number 2 behind Salah.”
A fourth wrote: “Virgil van Dijk and [Ryan] Gravenberch should be here not Bruno Fernandes.”
Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch won the Premier League Young Player of the Season, however was not nominated for the PFA Players’ Player or Young Player of the Season.
Liverpool’s Salah won the Premier League Player of the Season last month, while also picking up the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year, and is looking to complete all three in one year.
If the Egyptian is to win the award, he will become the first player in Premier League history to be named PFA Players’ Player of the Season on three occasions.
At the moment he is in esteemed company, with Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Alan Shearer, Gareth Bale, Mark Hughes and Kevin de Bruyne the only other players to have won the award twice.
The winner will be announced on August 19 at the PFA Awards in Manchester.
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