Answer
Steve Bruce was the manager of Sunderland when Phil Bardsley won the player of the year award in 2010-11. Bruce had been appointed as manager of Sunderland in June 2010, and he led the team to a 14th-place finish in the Premier League in his first season in charge. In the 2010-11 season, Sunderland finished in 12th place, and Bardsley was named the club's player of the year.