Marcus Rashford has been named Manchester United‘s Player of the year at the club’s end-of-year awards.
The forward has scored 30 goals in 55 games so far this campaign in a scintillating return to form after a difficult couple of years and he scooped the top prize on Monday night.
United still have one game remaining this term, with the Red Devils to take on local rivals Manchester City on Saturday at Wembley in the FA Cup final.
A victory would earn the club a domestic cup double after lifting the Carabao Cup earlier this year, and Rashford is expected to play a key role in the game under the arch.
He also scooped the players’ player of the year award at the ceremony, which saw manager Erik ten Hag deliver a speech about how he wanted to improve and drive the club forward.
Rashford’s lift of the trophy signals the first time he was won the Sir Matt Busby player of the season award.
His goal tally this term is his career best return, with the 25-year-old having netted 123 times for United since making his debut after making his way through the academy.
He is the first player to have graduated United’s academy and won the award since Ryan Giggs in 1998.
He earned his way back into Gareth Southgate’s England side with his return to form and finished the World Cup as England’s joint-top scorer, striking three times.
Upon winning the awards, Rashford said: ‘Definitely a proud feeling, it’s been a long time since an academy player has won this award so I feel a huge sense of pride.
‘I just hope that more academy players can go on and win this award and feel what I’m feeling right now on the stage. I’m very happy, very pleased, and I just want to say a big thanks to team-mates, staff, because without them pushing you every day in training you don’t get to see the best version of me.
‘I appreciate all of you guys and thank you very much.’
He also tweeted: ‘What an incredible honour to win both the Sir Matt Busby and Players’ ‘Player Of The Year’ awards tonight. To have the support of both the fans and my teammates means the world – I couldn’t do it without you all.
‘Thanks to the manager & all the staff for their phenomenal help.’
United activated a clause to extend Rashford’s contract to 2024 earlier this season and Ten Hag revealed he expects his player to sign a new contract soon.
The Dutchman also said that he wants to improve United further after a successful first season in charge.
‘We have seen it before the season, after the start of the season, and then where we came from – we are happy, we are in the right direction, but satisfied? No, we are not,’ Ten Hag said.
‘We have to do better, that’s always the case. We have a foundation, we have a good base. But we have to do better. This season, we still have one game to go and it’s a great opportunity to make the next big step.
Antony, meanwhile, won the Goal of the Season award for his strike against Barcelona in the Europa League.
In the women’s team, forward Alessia Russo won player of the season and goal of the season for her strike against Arsenal, while Hannah Blundell was named players’ player of the season.
In the United academy, Dan Gore picked up the Denzil Haroun award and Kobbie Mainoo won the Jimmy Murphy award for the young and reserve player of the year respectively.
Bella Reidford won the women’s player of the year in the academy, with Holly Deering named young player of the year.