Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk, Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all in contention for the 2020 PFA Player of the Year award, with the Liverpool quartet joined on the six-man shortlist by Manchester City pair Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling.
Premier League champions from Anfield dominate the selection of nominees, with Jurgen Klopp’s side seeing their efforts recognised in what was a record-setting campaign for the Reds.
City, though, boast the current Premier League Player of the Year, with Belgium international midfielder De Bruyne landing that prize for 2019-20 .
He will be hoping to complete a notable double, allowing him to follow in the footsteps of Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Van Dijk – who have taken the PFA gong in the last two seasons .
Of the runners and riders from the last campaign, the PFA said in a statement on their official website : “England international Alexander-Arnold, 21, and Van Dijk played in all 38 league games while Henderson captained the side impressively and Mane scored 22 goals in all competitions.
“De Bruyne enhanced his reputation with a series of stunning individual displays, while England star Sterling scored 35 goals for club and country.”
Liverpool full-back Alexander-Arnold is also included among the nominees for the Young Player of the Year award.
He is joined on that list by Manchester United forwards Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, his Stamford Bridge team-mate Mason Mount and Arsenal teenager Bukayo Saka.
When it comes to the Women’s Player of the Year category, there is a healthy collection of Chelsea stars in contention.
Beth England, Sophie Ingle, Guro Reiten and Ji So-yun are all included on the list of candidates from the Blues’ ranks, with current holder of the prize Vivianne Miedema and her Arsenal colleague Kim Little also getting the nod.
The PFA said: “The Blues narrowly won the Women’s Super League title ahead of Manchester City on a points-per-game basis when last season was called to a halt because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Striker England scored 21 goals in all competitions playing ahead of midfielders Ingle, Reiten and Ji as the Blues claimed the title and the Continental League Cup.
“Team-mate Erin Cuthbert finds herself surrounded by Manchester-based players in the Young Player of the Year category alongside City’s Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly, Ellie Roebuck and Georgia Stanway and United’s Lauren James.”
The winners of the individual awards will be announced on Tuesday.