Manchester City stars Phil Foden and Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw have made it another double for the Blues after picking up the men’s and women’s awards for the 2024 Footballer of the Year from the Football Writers’ Association (FWA).
The Man City forwards have arguably been the players of the season for their respective teams this year, with Foden enjoying the best statistical campaign of his career so far and ‘Bunny’ Shaw becoming the club’s record goalscorer back in March, surpassing women’s legend and Lioness Georgia Stanway.
With nearly 60 goal contributions across all competitions between the two of them and both sides looking very likely to lift the Premier League and WSL titles this month, it’s been an impressive performance both individually and as a team.
We reckon these won’t be the only awards they end up with this year.
— The Football Writers' Association (@theofficialfwa) May 3, 2024
Both players have been a constant threat and focal point for their squads this season.
Pipping one of the best players in the league to the post this year in the shape of Chelsea and England star Lauren James, the 27-year-old Jamaican striker told the FWA and the club: “I am very proud and privileged to have received this award and to be recognised in this way is a special honour.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I want to also thank all of my team-mates. They provide me with the chances to score goals and I could not have won this award without them. I also owe such a lot to Gareth [Taylor, head coach], the rest of the coaching team and everyone else here at City.
It’s a pleasure to be part of such a special group. Many thanks to all who voted for me and to my fellow nominees. It means such a lot to have won this award. Hopefully, the side can now finish off the season in style and give everyone a special cause to celebrate.” Shaw is now recovering from surgery on a broken foot sustained against West Ham.
ADVERTISEMENT
This is actually the second time that the club have mopped up both the men’s and women’s FWA awards, with Raheem Sterling and Nikita Parris achieving the same feat back in 2019.
Manager Pep Guardiola has once again been full of praise for his in-form forward ahead of Saturday’s league fixture against Wolves.
PEP 💬 (On Phil Foden) He has done really good, I have said many times. His impact in the final third is really good and his work ethic. Every year the amount of games and minutes he is playing, he is more mature. He understands the game. pic.twitter.com/Q1mN0cgm1n
As for first-team talisman and England favourite himself, Foden added: “Being named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year is a huge honour. I’m very, very happy to receive this award but I could not have done it without the help of my teammates.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We have a very special squad of players at City, and I’m privileged to be a part of that group.” With two PFA Young Player of the Year awards to his name in 20/21 and 21/22 as well, the ‘Stockport Iniesta’ is no stranger to receiving this kind of recognition but this is undoubtedly his biggest nod yet.
The 23-year-old Foden won 42% of the members’ votes and is the fourth City player to pick up the award in four years, with Erling Haaland obviously storming the race last season. That being said, 2023/24 has well and truly been the year of Phil Foden.
Congratulations to both players on their very well-earned accolades and we’re keeping our eyes peeled on both of them ahead of a big summer for international football.
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
Manchester City plotting spending spree ‘before’ Club World Cup
Danny Jones
Manchester City are set to embark on somewhat of a spending spree this summer transfer window as the club’s higher-ups are looking to get business done before the 2025 Club World Cup.
With FIFA’s intercontinental club competition set to get underway in mid-June, the Blues don’t have too long to welcome in new players, but Man City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has reiterated their urgency regarding recruitment.
Despite having brought in four new acquisitions in a very short space of time last season, the 50-year-old argued that he wasn’t completely happy with the extent and speed of their business.
Giving a lengthy interview this week, CFG‘s founding chairman has imposed an internal deadline ahead of the lucrative knockout competition.
Speaking with club media, Khaldoon recognised that while there were incomings in January of this year, he believes they “should have been more aggressive in some of the changes we needed to do, adding that he believes it “cost [them].”
“I can tell you today, we have clearly identified who exactly [the targets are], in what positions, and we have our clear number one option, our clear number two option”, he continues.
More importantly, he goes on to add: “We’ll go about our business, and it will be very clear, very swift. Our objective is to try to be ready with the new squad for the Club World Cup.”
He also suggested the flurry of activity this past January was not just atypical of the administration, but felt the squad fell into a crisis state with the number of injuries, insisting they “had to act.”
City have already been linked with a hugely talented and highly-rated European target in the wake of Kevin De Bruyne‘s departure and a lack of strength in depth in midfield.
An initial bid is said to have been received already and will likely be the first of many City summer signings.
He also insisted that the players who joined last season weren’t scattershot, emergency transfers (perhaps barring the resigning of İlkay Gündoğan) but were the start of the rebuild and “gives [fans] an idea of what’s coming this summer.”
Another player linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium is Lyon star Rayan Cherki, who scored in big moments during their Europa League run this year, registering 32 goal contributions across all competitions throughout the 24/25 campaign.
Who would you like to see added to Pep Guardiola’s side this summer, then, Man City fans?
You can watch Khaldoon Al Mubarak’s interview in full down below:
Danny Jones -
3rd May 2024 
