Bruno Fernandes crowned as player of the season by Gary Lineker as ex-England striker names just TWO rivals who can beat Man Utd captain to top award

The result keeps Carrick’s incredible start as interim boss alive, with the legendary midfielder winning six of his first seven games. Meanwhile, Fernandes continued his fine form after bouncing back from a rare three-game injury lay-off around Christmas with another impressive performance against Palace. With seven goals and 13 assists to his name in the top flight this term, Fernandes is trailing only Erling Haaland in terms of total goal contributions. Gary Lineker has thrown his weight behind the Manchester United captain in the race for the Premier League’s end-of-season honours.

Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Lineker was unequivocal in his praise for the United skipper, suggesting he is currently the frontrunner for the division's individual honours. Lineker stated: "You see him on the left wing, you see him on the right wing… what a brain! I think he’s the player of the season for me. I know they’ll probably give it to someone that’s going to win something. For me, it’s probably him or maybe Declan Rice if Arsenal go on and manage to clinch the title."

The former England striker acknowledged that while team success often dictates where the awards go, Fernandes’ individual brilliance cannot be ignored. Lineker added: "I suppose the only other one, if he came back and started banging in all the goals and won City the title, it might be Erling Haaland again. But at the moment, for me, to do what he’s done this season… and he was still the standout player even when they were going through a rotten spell when they were really struggling under Ruben Amorim. I think he’s got such a great footballing brain and technique. What a player, what a player!"

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards joined the chorus of praise, highlighting the intelligence and spatial awareness that Fernandes brings to the pitch. Richards noted that while the team looked off the pace early on against Palace, the captain's intervention changed the dynamic. He explained: "It was quite sluggish. I didn’t think that they thought they could just turn up but their passing was slow. But when Bruno Fernandes gets a grip of that game… you talk about spaces and where he goes, he’s so clever."

Richards went on to detail the specific tactical movements that make Fernandes so difficult to mark during the transition phases of play. He said: "When he crosses, he goes sort of inside-left channel. He doesn’t just go in the middle, he sees where everyone is, he always uses his full-back or his winger and then they play back to him where he’s got that time to cross. If you actually look at his positioning, he’s always scanning about, where the best places are to be, where he can affect the game."

United face a quick turnaround as they travel to St. James' Park to face Newcastle on Wednesday evening. The clash will be another major test for Carrick’s credentials as he looks to keep the momentum building. While Arsenal and Manchester City may be too far in front in the title race, United know they cannot afford any slip-ups if they wish to secure Champions League football. For Fernandes, it is another opportunity to pull further ahead in the race for the individual accolades, having already established himself as the creative fulcrum of the league.