Friday 16 May 2025 09:55
The first Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award was presented in 1988, with Brian McClair the inaugural winner.
The prize is voted for by the club’s supporters, and runs alongside the Players’ Player of the Year award.
Bruno Fernandes is the latest holder, having retained his crown for 2024/25. It is the fourth time he has been recognised.
Marcus Rashford was the winner the previous season, 2022/23, and he followed Cristiano Ronaldo, who claimed the accolade in his first season back at the club to complete a quadruple of triumphs.
CR7’s Portuguese compatriot Fernandes was the winner in the prior two terms (2019/20 and 2020/21), taking the trophy from Luke Shaw, whose success in 2018/19 means he was the first defender to collect the award in a decade.
David De Gea also has four successes, having been crowned our Player of the Year four times in five years between 2014 and 2018.
Beyond that, there are five players on two gongs each: McClair, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wayne Rooney. In total, there have been 24 different winners of the award, across 13 different nationalities.
The prize for 2025 was the 38th in the award’s history, although a ‘Player of the Year’ accolade has existed since 1972, with the Manchester United Supporters’ Club Player of the Year awarded until 1985, and a Sharp-sponsored version given out – both times to centre-back Paul McGrath – in 1986 and 1987.
Manchester United Supporters’ Club Player of the Year
1971/72: Willie Morgan
1972/73: Willie Morgan
1973/74: Jim Holton
1974/75: Lou Macari
1975/76: Lou Macari
1976/77: Brian Greenhoff
1977/78: Steve Coppell
1978/79: Jimmy Greenhoff
1979/80: Joe Jordan
1980/81: Joe Jordan
1981/82: Ray Wilkins
1982/83: Bryan Robson
1983/84: Ray Wilkins
1984/85: Mark Hughes
Sharp Manchester United Player of the Year
1985/86: Paul McGrath
1986/87: Paul McGrath
The award at Old Trafford.
Winners of the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award
1987/88: Brian McClair (Scotland)
1988/89: Bryan Robson (England)
1989/90: Gary Pallister (England)
1990/91: Mark Hughes (Wales)
1991/92: Brian McClair (Scotland)
1992/93: Paul Ince (England)
1993/94: Eric Cantona (France)
1994/95: Andrei Kanchelskis (Russia)
1995/96: Eric Cantona (France)
1996/97: David Beckham (England)
1997/98: Ryan Giggs (Wales)
1998/99: Roy Keane (Ireland)
1999/00: Roy Keane (Ireland)
2000/01: Teddy Sheringham (England)
2001/02: Ruud van Nistelrooy (the Netherlands)
2002/03: Ruud van Nistelrooy (the Netherlands)
2003/04: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2004/05: Gabriel Heinze (Argentina)
2005/06: Wayne Rooney (England)
2006/07: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2007/08: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2008/09: Nemanja Vidic (Serbia)
2009/10: Wayne Rooney (England)
2010/11: Javier Hernandez (Mexico)
2011/12: Antonio Valencia (Ecuador)
2012/13: Robin van Persie (the Netherlands)
2013/14: David De Gea (Spain)
2014/15: David De Gea (Spain)
2015/16: David De Gea (Spain)
2016/17: Ander Herrera (Spain)
2017/18: David De Gea (Spain)
2018/19: Luke Shaw (England)
2019/20: Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)
2020/21: Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)
2021/22: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2022/23: Marcus Rashford (England)
2023/24: Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)
2024/25: Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)
