Wayne Rooney has named Bruno Fernandes and Cole Palmer as two of the ‘top five players’ in the Premier League this season.
Fernandes has enjoyed another impressive season at Old Trafford despite Manchester United’s dismal Premier League form.
The Portuguese playmaker has scored 17 goals and made 15 assists this term for a United team sitting just 14th in the Premier League, closer to the relegation zone than the Champions League places.
Palmer, meanwhile, has netted 14 goals and provided eight assists for Chelsea.
The England star was once again one of the standout players in the Premier League in the first-half of the season but his performances have fallen away since Christmas.
Despite this, Rooney named Palmer as one of the top five players in the Premier League over the 2024-25 campaign along with Fernandes, Morgan Gibbs-White, Alexander Isak and Mohamed Salah.
Gibbs-White’s superb form looks set to help Nottingham Forest qualify for the Champions League and also led to an England recall during the last international break.
Isak may also be playing Champions League football next season with Newcastle United, who ended their long wait for a trophy by winning the Carabao Cup last month.
Salah, meanwhile, looks set to win the PFA Player of the Year award for title-winning Liverpool, having scored 27 goals and providing a further 18 assists in 33 league games.
Asked to name his top-five players this season, Rooney told Amazon Prime: ‘In fifth place, I think I’ll probably go with Bruno Fernandes.
Wayne Rooney’s top five Premier League players this season
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
- Alexander Isak (Newcastle United)
- Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
- Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest)
- Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
‘Obviously Man United haven’t had a great season but he’s been the one consistent player who keeps producing so I’ll go with Bruno for number five.
‘In fourth place, I’d probably go with Morgan Gibbs-White. I think he’s had a fantastic season for Nottingham Forest, creating and scoring goals and being the main player there in my opinion.
‘In third place, I’d go with Cole Palmer. I know of late he hasn’t scored the goals he did at the start of the season, but I still think he’s been really influential for Chelsea this season.
‘In second place, I’d go with Isak from Newcastle. I think his all-round play, his goals, obviously scoring the goal in the final as well.
‘Isak would be my number two pick and my number one pick would be Mo Salah.
‘I think over the last few years his performances has been excellent and this season again it looks like he’s going to spearhead Liverpool to the title.’
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