Gone are the days where a simple Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season would suffice. Nowadays there are awards for everything.
From the best playmaker award to the golden glove, there is even an award for the most powerful shot, now awarded on a seasonal basis by the Premier League. Another is aimed at giving substitutes a chance.
And this season, Manchester United had one of those who made an impact more than any other, with one game in particular standing out.
This was midfielder Scott McTominay, who helped to dig Manchester United out of a few holes this season.
Scott McTominay is a ‘gamechanger’
Remarkably, despite an eighth-placed finish, there are three players nominated for the Premier League’s fan voted team of the season. These are Andre Onana, Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot.
Scott McTominay has been nominated for the ‘gamechanger’ award, the Premier League confirms.
McTominay made a number of vital substitute appearances this season, but his award nomination is specifically for his performance in Manchester United’s 2-1 win at Brentford, in which he scored twice.
There are five other nominees, with the award not restricted to substitutes. One nominee is Cole Palmer for his hat-trick against United, two penalties.
We feel McTominay has a really strong chance of winning the award. He did precisely what it describes – he changed the game.
How McTominay inspired comeback
Manchester United were in the midst of a real wobble when we faced Brentford early in the season. Home games against Crystal Palace and Galatasaray had looked like confidence boosting fixtures. Instead, injuries issues and poor performance led to successive defeats.
A home game against Brentford wasn’t shaping up much better either after Mathias Jensen’s 26th minute opener.
The team looked to be trailing towards a miserable 1-0 defeat until Scott McTominay was sent on for Sofyan Amrabat in the 87th minute.
United were at that stage hoping to snatch a draw. McTominay, an academy player raised on watching historic comebacks, had other ideas, leaving Brentford shellshocked.
Hescored two injury time goals to turn the game around a seal a remarkable 2-1 comeback victory, also winning the man of the match vote with just a few minutes on the pitch.
It was the true definition of a gamechanging performance.