Manchester City defender Ruben Dias has been crowned as the Premier League Player of the Season for 2020-21. It is yet another accolade for the Portuguese man, followed by his winning the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year and being selected in the Team of the Season.
Announcing himself to the #PL in 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 😎
👏 Introducing your 2020/21 @EASPORTSFIFA Player of the Season: @rubendias 👏#PLAwards pic.twitter.com/FCvr2Jg1w1
— Premier League (@premierleague) June 5, 2021
He was in contention with Spurs’ Harry Kane, Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish, Liverpool’s Mo Salah, West Ham’s Tomas Soucek, Chelsea’s Mason Mount and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, along with of course his own teammate Kevin De Bruyne.
DEFENSIVE BEHEMOTH
The 24-year-old has been a mainstay in the City defence, amassing 15 clean sheets from 32 appearances. His move to the Etihad from Benfica in the summer did raise some questions on whether he will be able to adapt to conditions in England. However, Dias quickly dispelled those fears with absolutely commanding displays all throughout the season. Pep Guardiola’s side romped to the title and picked up the Carabao Cup as well for a domestic double.
Dias has been universally praised for his fearlessness and supreme reading of the game. He is not afraid to throw his body at the ball, go into hard tackles while emerging as a strong leader at the back. He has a passing accuracy of 93% over the season, which suggests he is able to keep his calm under pressure. Dias is also very quick on the ground which allows him to cover a lot of pace quickly.
MORE TO COME
Considering this was his debut season, it has been as good as imaginable for Dias. His humongous performances against PSG in the semi-finals of the Champions League led the Cityzens to within 90 minutes of winning it. Nevertheless, Dias will be hungry to succeed more and more at the club. With the Euros around the corner, he will be an astute presence for the defending champions too. The sky’s the limit for the young centre-back who is just getting started.