“He’s not” – Pep Guardiola responds to Rodri’s Premier League Player of the Season snub

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has responded to Rodri being snubbed for the list of nominees for the annual Premier League Player of the Season award.

Phil Foden and Erling Haaland were confirmed as Manchester City’s representatives in the final list of nominations for the leading player’s award at the end of the ongoing English top-flight campaign.

The Manchester City duo also feature on the list of nominations for the Premier League’s Young Player of the Season award, whilst manager Pep Guardiola has been shortlisted for a second successive Manager of the Season crown.

But one noticeable omission from the senior list of nominees was Manchester City’s mainstay defensive midfielder Rodri, who is currently in the midst of a staggering 71-game unbeaten run stretching back over one year.

The Spaniard has remained integral to Manchester City’s success this season, and it is highly unlikely the club would have found themselves in the position they are in right now without the contributions of the defensive midfielder.

Speaking during his pre-Fulham press conference on Friday afternoon, Pep Guardiola was keen to issue his praise for Rodri despite the snub for Premier League Player of the Season, but also insisted that the problem will not bother the Spaniard.

“He has been one of the best. The nominees deserve it, and there are other players that deserve it too, the winner of all the trophies deserve it and the nominated who don’t win deserve to win. So, the list is huge. Everyone,” Guardiola said.

The Manchester City boss continued, “What is important is he knows what we think about the importance and how magnificent, extraordinary player he is. He’s not, he shouldn’t be worried at all about that. It is what it is.”

Guardiola continued having been asked whether individual awards mean more to the wider media than they do to managers and players, to which he stated, “Absolutely. It’s for the business.

“For those who are nominated and not nominated, who win and don’t win, nothing changes. Before, when I started at an early age, these awards didn’t exist, that is good. But all the nominees is more than well deserved, all of them played really good, otherwise they would not be here, and there are a lot, a lot that could be there.

“So it’s further, and further, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that for the people who vote, it’s fine. No concerns more than that.”

Manchester City return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon, taking up the early lunchtime slot as they take on Fulham at Craven Cottage, with Arsenal playing over 24 hours later away to Manchester United at Old Trafford.