Neville and Carragher split on Fernandes, Rice in Sky Sports awards
Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher split on Player of the Season on the final Monday Night Football of the 2025/26 campaign, even as their Sky Sports Team of the Season overlapped on nine names. Neville went with Bruno Fernandes. Carragher picked Declan Rice.
Neville and Carragher agree on nine
Neville's XI was Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, O'Reilly; Semenyo, Rice, Fernandes, Silva; Thiago, Haaland. Carragher's XI was Raya; Nunes, Saliba, Gabriel, O'Reilly; Rice, Silva; Semenyo, Fernandes, Doku; Haaland. The overlap was obvious across the spine of both teams, with Raya, Saliba, Gabriel, O'Reilly, Rice, Silva, Semenyo, Fernandes and Haaland making both selections.
Neville said he was “unequivocal” at right-back and backed Timber despite the defender being injured for the last couple of months. He added: “I was toying between Elliott Anderson in midfield and putting Bernardo Silva somewhere else, he was my last pick. I was unequivocal at right-back. Timber has been injured the last couple of months, but he's the best right-back in the league by a mile. He has it all.”
Carragher took a different route at full-back. “I went with Nunes and O'Reilly because at the start of the season, when I saw who Man City had at full-back, I didn't think for one minute they could win trophies or challenge for the title. Nunes is a midfield player but he plays every game, he's consistent, brilliant defensively and really good on the ball. Timber has had a few injuries. Doku has been fantastic.”
Fernandes and Rice split
The disagreement sharpened at the top of the individual awards. Neville chose Fernandes and argued that the Manchester United midfielder belongs with the league's best creators, saying: “I could say Declan Rice, Gabriel, Bernardo Silva, but Bruno getting level with Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry puts him in the very best company in terms of what the Premier League has to offer creativity.”
He also pointed to United's turnaround before Christmas, saying: “I could look a fool in a couple of weeks as Rice and Gabriel could end up with a Premier League title and Champions League double, but Bruno deserves it for playing and persisting in a struggling team for half the season and then excelling in the way he has.”
Carragher went the other way and gave his vote to Rice. “I'm a huge fan of Bruno Fernandes, but you're picking a player whose games haven't had any real jeopardy. I'd go with Declan Rice. He was outstanding in the Champions League semi-finals against Atletico Madrid.”
He added: “He's been a driving force for Arsenal. He dropped off a little bit around the Man City games and the cup final was because of a little bit of fatigue. They've constantly been playing midweek games because they're in all the competitions.”
United and Arsenal context
Carragher also sharpened the contrast by pointing to United's season, saying: “Man Utd went out of both cup competitions; they didn't have Europe, I can't think of many big games that Bruno has been involved in.” That left the two pundits aligned on almost the entire Team of the Season but divided on which player carried the deepest individual case across the league.
Neville's view leaned on Fernandes' output for a side that was in a desperate situation before Christmas and later turned things around against Arsenal and City, while Carragher's case rested on Rice's role in Arsenal's schedule and knockout run. The final Monday Night Football awards left one clear split at the top, even after nine shared picks in the XI.
