Declan Rice has been named the BBC's Premier League Player of the Year for his pivotal role in Arsenal's first league title in over two decades. The Gunners secured the championship in the penultimate round of fixtures after Manchester City lost to Bournemouth, ending a 20-year wait since their 2004 triumph.
Rice beat Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes to the inaugural award, which was decided by a panel of journalists, pundits and experts. The England midfielder's success was part of a double for Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta voted Premier League Manager of the Year.
Brentford's Igor Thiago finished third in the voting, while Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly was named Young Player of the Year. Rice was one of five Arsenal players in the awards' Premier League team of the season, alongside David Raya, Gabriel, William Saliba and Jurrien Timber.
The award recognises Rice's contribution to Arsenal's title charge after three consecutive second-place finishes. Voters included former players such as Chris Sutton, Danny Murphy, Dion Dublin and Theo Walcott.
