Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has said that he would not have given Gareth Bale his vote for Player of the Year last season.
The former Tottenham Hotspur ace swept up in the individual stakes last term, picking up both PFA Player and Young Player of the Year awards before sealing a world-record £86m move to Real Madrid in September.
"I always say that individual awards should be for the winners, that's always my feeling," he told reporters. "I think last year happened to Gareth and not a Man United player because Gareth was really more than special, he had a fabulous season.
"But normally individual awards are a consequence of collective work, a consequence of the team's big award. I don't vote, but if I vote I always vote for a player that belongs to the champions - the most preeminent player in the team that wins the league.
"So for me they should wait to see the champion. I think football is about teams, it's not about players, it's about teams."
The 24-year-old helped Madrid to the summit of the Primera Division temporarily by opening the scoring in the 4-2 win over Villarreal at the weekend.
Shane Callaghan
