Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand names his Premier League player of the season and two ‘close seconds’
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Rio Ferdinand has picked out Mohamed Salah as his Premier League player of the season, while naming his two ‘close seconds’ for the prize at the halfway stage. Salah has enjoyed a barnstorming start to the 2024/25 campaign, racking up 16 goals and 11 assists to help Arne Slot’s rampant Liverpool open up a six-point lead at the top of the table.
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The 32-year-old forward has also shone in Liverpool’s cup competitions, notching three goals and four assists, with the Merseyside giants fighting for silverware on four separate fronts. While there remains uncertainty over his long-term future at Anfield, Salah has shown no signs of slowing down and the Egyptian will be desperate to boost his extraordinary numbers when the Reds take on West Ham this weekend.
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The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Martin Odegaard, Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka have also enjoyed strong starts to the season and find themselves among the bookmakers’ favourites to scoop the PFA Player of the Year award – last won by Phil Foden. But legendary ex-Manchester United and England defender Ferdinand believes Salah has been a cut above the rest this term, stating on his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast: ‘I’d go Salah. I think Palmer and Saka are close seconds.’.
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On his signing of the season, Ferdinand replied: ‘This is the worst Premier League signing of the season ever!’. Ferdinand added: ‘I think we should move on from that, I think it’s terrible. ‘It’s a poor selection. No disrespect to the players but there’s been no one like, “Wow!”, who jumps off the page and has been outstanding.
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