De Bruyne Bidding to Win England’s Player Award for 3rd Time

28 May 2022, Belgium, Gent: Belgian footballer Kevin De Bruyne is during the "Kevin de Bruyne Cup" youth football tournament for U15 teams. (dpa)
28 May 2022, Belgium, Gent: Belgian footballer Kevin De Bruyne is during the "Kevin de Bruyne Cup" youth football tournament for U15 teams. (dpa)
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De Bruyne Bidding to Win England’s Player Award for 3rd Time

28 May 2022, Belgium, Gent: Belgian footballer Kevin De Bruyne is during the "Kevin de Bruyne Cup" youth football tournament for U15 teams. (dpa)
28 May 2022, Belgium, Gent: Belgian footballer Kevin De Bruyne is during the "Kevin de Bruyne Cup" youth football tournament for U15 teams. (dpa)

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is in contention to win English football's Player of the Year award for the third straight season.

De Bruyne was on a six-man shortlist for the award announced Wednesday, alongside Liverpool trio Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, Tottenham striker Harry Kane and Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo.

City was outnumbered by Liverpool on the shortlist despite beating its rival to the Premier League title to retain the trophy.

De Bruyne won the prestigious award, voted by the players, in 2020 and '21. Van Dijk and Salah won it the years before that.

The shortlist for the women’s Player of the Year award consisted of Chelsea duo Pernille Harder and Sam Kerr, Arsenal pair Vivianne Miedema and Kim Little and Manchester City's Alex Greenwood and Lauren Hemp.



United Boss Ten Hag Concedes Liverpool Have Advantage of Mature Team

Soccer Football - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United - The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain - August 24, 2024 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag reacts REUTERS/Tony O Brien/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Soccer Football - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United - The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain - August 24, 2024 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag reacts REUTERS/Tony O Brien/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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United Boss Ten Hag Concedes Liverpool Have Advantage of Mature Team

Soccer Football - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United - The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain - August 24, 2024 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag reacts REUTERS/Tony O Brien/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Soccer Football - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United - The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain - August 24, 2024 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag reacts REUTERS/Tony O Brien/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Liverpool are a more mature side than Manchester United, with the advantage of a cohesive team of established players, United manager Erik ten Hag said ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash between the bitter rivals at Old Trafford.

"Liverpool are in a different phase of the life cycle," Ten Hag told reporters. "We are much more mixed and we have to build a new team."

United have not beaten Liverpool in the league since a 2-1 win at Old Trafford in August 2022 though Ten Hag's men did prevail 4-3 over former Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp's side to win the FA Cup last season, according to Reuters.

Liverpool finished third in the league last season, five places and 22 points ahead of United, but Ten Hag said his side could take heart from their performance in the cup final.

"We can always win, last year we won (in the FA cup) in the second part of the season," the Dutchman said.

"(Liverpool) are a team who are clear in the relationship among their players. It's what (new manager Arne Slot) has inherited. It was built over the last few years."

Slot and Ten Hag have faced each other in the past during their time working in the Dutch top flight, with little to chose between them on paper.

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Both managers have two wins apiece against each other in the Eridivisie, with Sunday's match at Old Trafford their first head-to-head meeting since March 2022.

Liverpool have made a solid start to the season under Slot, who became their first manager since Graeme Souness in 1991 to win his two opening league games in charge with Sunday's 2-0 victory over Brentford.

United, on the other hand, dropped their first points of the campaign when they were beaten 2-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion last Saturday.

"One of the reasons I came here is I knew beforehand it would be the most difficult thing I could ever do in my life, to come in (to) a club with a lot of problems," added Ten Hag, who took charge of United in April 2022.

"I inherited a history of six years and no trophy. We're still in transition. We have young players, academy players, and now we have to construct a team for the future."