The years don’t come much more eventful than 2021 for Liverpool Football Club.

From starting a year playing in empty stadiums, crumbling to a record six-game losing streak at home, a miraculous recovery, a last-minute winner from Alisson Becker and a third place finish to end last season. .

The Reds then started this season scoring two or more goals in every game they have played so far, losing just once.

This year marks only the second Fan Footballer of the Year award, with fans selected from four nominees – chosen by our own Liverpool correspondent, Paul Gorst – to crown their team’s best footballer.

Agree with our shortlist? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

You can define the “Footballer of the Year” as you like. It is perhaps your most important star. It could be the player who got you the furthest from your seat. This might be the one you can’t wait to see when you arrive at Anfield. Or maybe it’s a man who goes above and beyond, not just on the pitch, but off.

We asked Paul for his four nominees for the Liverpool Echo Liverpool Footballer of the Year for Fans.

Here is what he said.

Mohamed Salah – Is there currently a better player on the planet than Mohamed Salah? Fifteen goals in 15 games – including some truly outrageous efforts – suggest not. The man so affectionately known at Anfield as the “King of Egypt” may not mar the Ballon d’Or podiums in Paris, but that will simply be due to Liverpool’s lack of collective success in 2021. He is already almost half of the impressive 31 total he got last time around and shows no signs of slowing down as the Reds prepare for a busy end to the calendar year. Salah is aiming for a third Golden Boot in the Premier League and will have noble plans to somehow improve his return from 44 in 2018. He’s at least a third of the way. The outstanding Premier League footballer by far at the moment.

Fabinho – Liverpool’s most important midfielder. The Brazilian has quietly gone from an important member of the team to an irreplaceable and inescapable force in the center of the park. If Jurgen Klopp believes Virgil van Dijk and Alisson were his two game changers in the Reds’ trophy pursuit during his time at the club, he is likely to see Fabinho from that same perspective now. Arguably the Premier League’s best selection midfielder, the former Monaco player is vital for Klopp and has been excellent this season. It’s not usually a position that gets a lot of praise, but Fabinho is as good as any other in this No.6 role.

Trent Alexander-Arnold – The Liverpool right-back is approaching his best again this season after a year seeing 20 different pairs of center-backs named by Jurgen Klopp. Clearly feeling the benefit of a full preseason campaign, Alexander-Arnold hit the ground running on his return from injury and looks fitter, sharper and stronger than he did. for about a year. He was only 23 in October, but is now considered one of the main influential leaders of this Liverpool side. Once again entrusted as the Reds’ most creative outlet, a system tweak has seen him drift on the pitch at times, giving plenty of evidence to those who think he should be a midfielder with crisp passes. and, inevitably, assists. Alexander-Arnold doesn’t need to budge, however, he continues to reinvent himself as a right-back.

Joel matip – While Virgil van Dijk usually draws applause when it comes to Liverpool’s defense, Joel Matip has been in superlative form this season. Another who has taken full advantage of a gradual recovery from injury and a full preseason, the oft-injured Cameroon defender has held up so far. And when it is able to do so, its quality is rarely questioned. His streak from Romelu Lukaku in August was impressive but it was his ability to play defensive-shattering passes that also caught the eye. Matip’s calm and unassuming personality means he’s unlikely to win too much praise, but he’s been generally excellent.

Now vote here: