Steven Gerrard has named his five favourites for the PFA Player of the Year award. The former Liverpool captain has predictably named four Reds in his list as well as Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.
The other footballers he name-checked to win the award he claimed himself in 2005/2006 are Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Gerrard reserved particular praise for the Reds captain, telling The Athletic:
“It was always going to be a journey of ups and downs, bumps and bruises, highs and lows, like the majority of careers are.
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“I know Jordan more than most and I know what he’s put in. I know how hard he has fought, how hard he has worked, the shifts that he has put in and how much he helps other people.
“I know more than most what it will mean to him and what it will mean to his family when he lifts that trophy. I am so proud of him and the selfless way in which he’s put himself in this position.
“I never had any doubts. A lot of fans and a lot of people don’t see what goes on behind the scenes to get himself in this position. He deserves every bit of success that he gets. I’m so happy for him, the team and also myself as a fan.”
“If he got it (PFA award) I don’t think anyone could argue or grumble. He would deserve it as much as anyone else who is in the running for it.
“I try to be non-biased when I talk about things like this. Kevin De Bruyne has been superb this season. The same goes for Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan and Sadio Mane. Any of them would deserve it. Would I like to see Jordan win it? Yes, I would.
“I’d also like to see him win the Football Writers’ award. In this day and age, with what we’re going through and what we’ve seen of late, he’s someone who commits himself to the game and is a real ambassador and role model on and off the pitch. It’s the way he goes about his work, the quality he has shown consistently and his leadership skills.
“With these individual awards, I just think sometimes they have to be about more than what just happens on the pitch. I think Jordan is certainly deserving to be in the running for both. If he got both I’d be very pleased for him.”
Football 365
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