Kevin De Bruyne stands on verge of history but Liverpool FC star Mo Salah may have PFA advantage

Kevin De Bruyne could cement his place as an all-time Premier League great tonight, as he looks to surpass legends like Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Manchester City talisman De Bruyne will find out at 7pm on Thursday whether he has been awarded a third consecutive PFA Player of the Year award, which would represent a feat no other player has ever managed. Manchester United have had different players win the award in three or four consecutive seasons before, but no single player has ever won three PFA accolades in total, let along successive seasons.

That would see De Bruyne surpass the likes of Shearer, Henry, Ronaldo and Gareth Bale - the other players to win two awards in their careers - while his biggest competition is set to come from Liverpool forward Mo Salah, looking to join that list with his second Player of the Year title.

ALSO READ:Ilkay Gundogan masterclass in new role could solve two Man City problems

De Bruyne's 2020 award, when he levelled Henry's record of 20 Premier League assists, was completely deserved, while his 2021 win was a little more fortunate as others arguably had better seasons. Still, there was a genuine argument that De Bruyne was the best player in the league, and that still stands ahead of the 2022 PFA awards ceremony.

When the season is reflected upon, De Bruyne will probably go down as the player of the year, a fact backed up with his Premier League Player of the Season. His assist for Ilkay Gundogan's title-clincher was brilliant, and his form in the run-in was untouchable.

However, the PFA award isn't voted on after the end of the season. Players pick their winners in the spring, so if a player is peaking in their form at the start of a calendar year they