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Not everyone will agree with Graeme Souness’ choice for player of the year
Published 11:02 9 Apr 2017 BST
Homesport
Controversial.
Graeme Souness was once a combative midfielder.
He was then a no-nonsense manager.
When Newcastle United teammates Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer were sent off for fighting each other back in 2005, Souness, the club's manager, had a solution...
According to Dyer, Souness came into the dressing room after the game and said to him and Bowyer: "If you want to fight I'll beat both of you."
They didn't take him up on the offer.
Souness is now a no-nonsense pundit. He isn't offering to fight anyone, but it probably wouldn't be wise to leave him alone with the Arsenal team for fear that he would make Theo Walcott cry.
The former Liverpool captain calls it how he sees it and doesn't worry about who he might upset. Which may explain his somewhat controversial choice for player of the year, as Souness seemingly didn't get the memo.
The player of the year award appears to be a two-way battle between Chelsea duo N'Golo Kante and Eden Hazard. However, Souness is opting for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The Manchester United striker has 16 goals in 26 Premier League appearances this season, and Souness reckons he's been the best in the division.
The Sky pundit also said that Zlatan's excellence reflects poorly on United, as they are so reliant on a 35-year-old striker who is out of contract in the summer.
Most will agree with that summation, if not Souness' choice for player of the year.
"I have just voted for Ibrahimovic as my player of the year because he has been that good," Souness told Independent.ie.
"However, with my Liverpool hat on, how concerning must it be to United that their best player by a considerable distance is a 35-year-old who might not be there next year.
"You could argue that their second best player is Michael Carrick and he is also 35 and might not be there next season."
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