Mo Salah pips De Bruyne to PFA Players' Player of the Year award
Kevin De Bruyne missed out on the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, with Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah claiming the prize.
Mohamed Salah has won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award after a goal-laden, record-breaking first season at Liverpool. The Egypt forward has hit 31 goals in 33 Premier League appearances since signing from Roma for an initial 42 million euros last June, equalling the record for the most prolific campaign in English top flight history since the division was reduced to 20 teams in 1994/5.
Salah enters Liverpool history books
Salah has three fixtures remaining - against Stoke City, former side Chelsea and Brighton and Hove Albion - and needs just one goal to surpass the record he now shares with Alan Shearer, Cristiano Ronaldo and ex-Liverpool striker Luis Suárez.
The 25-year-old pipped Kevin De Bruyne to the prize, the playmaker having been a key influence in Manchester City's dominant Premier League campaign. Tottenham striker Harry Kane came in third.
Extraordinary debut season
"It's an honour to be Player of the Year for the Premier League, especially because it's voted for by the players," said Salah, who received a message of congratulations from manager Jürgen Klopp. "I still have some goals to score to break the record and I'm very excited about that. I'm very excited and we will see in the next three games."
De Bruyne confirmed he voted for Salah, scorer of 41 goals in all competitions for Liverpool, who face the winger's former club Roma in the semi-finals of the Champions League at Anfield on Tuesday.
This month Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win three Player of the Month awards in the same season.
De Bruyne recognized for superb season
De Bruyne will not end the campaign empty-handed, though, as he is set to collect the newly created Premier League Playmaker award, which goes to the individual with the most assists over the term.
