Kevin De Bruyne has claimed the first official award for most assists in a season, but who were the players who previously set the standard?
The Premier League Playmaker award is a new individual accolade given out to the player who has provided the most assists through the season.
It joins the Golden Boot and Golden Glove as honours for individual recognition, with the inaugural award going to Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne .
But, if the award had been in existence for the entirety of the Premier League era, who would have been the winners? Here, Goal takes a look.
Getty Images1992-93 | Eric Cantona (16 assists)
Eric Cantona would have won the playmaker award in the inaugural Premier League season. The United number seven assisted 16 times, as well as scoring 20 in in 42 appearances for both Leeds and the Red Devils.
United won the league that season for the first time in 26 years and the addition of Cantona in November was seen as the driving force towards that first title win.
AdvertisementGetty Images1993-94 | Andy Cole (13 assists)
A player not many people associate with assists because he was such a prolific goalscorer. In Andy Cole’s first Premier League season he set a record for the number of goals scored in a season with 34, and he would have been the first double winner of the Golden Boot and the Playmaker prize if the award had existed at the time.
Cole’s assists were not elegant through balls or crosses that you would see from many conventional playmakers but his hold-up play and lay-offs contributed to an assists tally which stood at 13 by the end of the season.
Getty Images1994-95 | Matt Le Tissier (15 assists)
Known as ‘Le God’ to Southampton fans, Le Tissier assisted 15 times in the 1994-95 season.
Le Tissier also took on the brunt of goal scoring responsibilities at The Dell during that season, netting 19 times in 41 outings.
Le Tissier contributed to 34 goals that season as Southampton finished comfortably in mid-table.
Getty Images1996-96 | Steve McManaman (15 assists)
Steve McManaman assisted 15 times in the 1995-96 season as Liverpool finished third.
McManaman enjoyed a productive season being able to supply Robbie Fowler and Stan Collymore, who both hit double figures for the season.
McManaman’s form also earned him a place in England’s Euro 96 squad and he received praise from Pele, who called him ‘one of the best players in Europe’.