Jordan Henderson Favourite For PFA Players’ Player of the Year Award

Liverpool star Mo Salah won the prestigious PFA Player of the Year award in 2018 and his team-mate Virgil Van Dijk won the following year.  Can their captain, Jordan Henderson, make it a trio of winners at the PFA ceremony this April?  The bookmakers certainly think so, with Unibet offering odds of 6/4, making the talented 29-year-old midfielder favourite to win the coveted award.  Alan Shearer, who won the award himself twice, supports Henderson wholeheartedly, recently saying “If the season was to end today, Jordan Henderson would be my player of the season”.

Liverpool are now 22 points ahead of Manchester City in the Premier League, and it is no surprise that five of the top six fancied players are from Liverpool.  Jurgen Klopp’s team have enjoyed an amazing 12 months, having won the Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. The team now seems a certainty to win the domestic title (with odds of 1/1000 from most bookies) , for the first time since 1989/90, and still have the opportunity to finish the season without losing a match, a feat first achieved by Arsenal back in 2003/04.

27-year-old Liverpool winger, Sadio Mane, is second favourite to win the award, with bookmaker Unibet offering odds of 4/1.  The Senegalese would be a popular choice with fellow players due to his talent but also his indomitable spirit and enthusiasm for the game.  Rio Ferdinand says “I think Mane has been my favourite player when I watch Liverpool if I’m honest”.  

The only non-Liverpool contender in the top six is Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.  The 28-year-old has enjoyed a wonderful season and he has already made 14 assists.  If he continues to perform, he may well break Thierry Henry’s record of 20 assists in one season, set in 2002/04 when Henry was playing for Arsenal.  Bookmaker Betway offers odds of 13/2 that De Bruyne will pick up the award this spring.

Virgil Van Dijk, the 28-year-old centre-back for LIverpool who won the award last season, is fancied by the bookies as a serious contender this time round.  Ladbrokes offer odds of 9/1 that the Dutchman will win once more.   

Mo Salah, who is vying with Sadio Mane to be top goal-scorer this season, also remains in contention.  The 27-year-old has been consistently superb in his three seasons at Liverpool and bookie Skybet offers odds of 16/1 that the Egyptian will win the Player of the Year award once more.  Skybet offers the same odds of 16/1 that Salah’s team mate, Trent Alexander-Arnold, will win the award.  Alexander-Arnold is the youngest of the contenders for the award, being only 21 years old, so he may have to wait awhile for his moment of glory but the right-back must surely be in the running for the award in years to come.  

All 4000 players in the Professional Footballers’ Association have the right to nominate two players each for the award with the shortlisted nominees revealed shortly before the gala dinner award ceremony in April.  Players consider the award to be the highest individual honour they could achieve, as it is voted for by players that they play with or against, week-in and week-out.  Jordan Henderson and his team mates will surely be hoping that a Liverpool player will be stepping up on stage to win the award and thwart the chances of rival Manchester City player Kevin De Bruyne.