BEVERLY HILLS, May 20, (THEWILL) – As the football season winds to a close, the award season is picking up and the triumph of Manchester City, from their initial dip to turning it around from December, makes it no surprise that centre-back Ruben Dias has been named the 2020/2021 Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year.
It has been a glorious year for the £65m signing from Benfica. The defender came in last summer and simply waltzed over to the Etihad Stadium to completely transform City’s defence. His emphatic presence has seen Pep Guardiola’s side notch up the best defensive record in the league en route to another Premier League honour.
As a result, winning the award was an obvious conclusion because Dias was a popular choice for his performances the entire season long. The FWA, however, confirmed that he still fought off competition from Tottenham’s Harry Kane and City teammate Kevin De Bruyne to clinch the gong.
Carrie Brown, chair of the FWA said: “Ruben Dias turned heads soon after his arrival in Manchester, a 23- year-old belying his age with fortitude, steel, a relentless drive for perfection and an almost superhuman ability to read and anticipate phases of play.
“This, while commendable, would not alone qualify a player to win the FWA Footballer of the Year award. One of our founding members, Charles Buchan, prescribed the award to recognise and celebrate a player who ‘by precept and example’ is considered to be the footballer of the year.
“Pep Guardiola improves players, shapes them but at no point, has a new signing arrived into one of Pep’s already trophy-laden teams and exerted such influence.”
Brown pinpointed the defender’s attributes that edged it in his favour: “Dias has demanded the highest standards which have resulted in the swiftest of upturns in fortune not solely for Dias himself, but team-mates to his left, right, front and centre.
“Ruben Dias is our Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year for his leadership on and off the pitch as much as for the infectious joy he derives from executing the art of defending to perfection.”
Brown concluded with the aspirational value of these awards: “I wonder if it is quite poignant that, in a time when so many find their backs against the wall, there is heart to be taken from the joy Dias exudes in standing firm and quelling the storm. Perhaps, in this of all seasons, Dias is the leader we all need.”
In their sensational season, it was no surprise that nine City players picked up nominations for the award, and made up to 50% of the entire voting for the 2020/2021 process.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
