By Muhammed Enes Calli
ANKARA (AA) - Manchester City defender Ruben Dias won the Football Writers' Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year award over his impressive form during the 2020-2021 season in England.
"The Football Writers’ Association is delighted to announce that Ruben Dias has been voted Footballer of the Year 2021, the first defender to win the award since Steve Nicol in 1989," FWA said Thursday in a statement.
Portuguese center-back defeated Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane and his team-mate from Manchester City, Kevin De Bruyne, to be crowned the player of the year.
The 24-year-old player said winning this award is a "huge privilege."
"I'm very, very happy. Obviously I could not have done it without the success of the team. I think me receiving this prize is the major example of our team, of how our team works the way, the way we build our game," he added.
"I think it reflects all the togetherness, we have in the pitch, and essentially that – how we perform and the spirit that is in the team and with this team, with these players. For me to be receiving this award, I think it means just that, how we play like a family."
Dias produced a solid performance in his first season at Manchester City after joining from the Portuguese club Benfica in September 2020.
Having played 48 matches in all competitions, Dias has been a vital part of the Pep Guardiola's squad, helping his team to lift the Carabao Cup, league title and move to Champions League final.