After scoring 34 league and cup goals this season, the England striker was named on a short list of four in the Professional Footballers' Association awards on Thursday alongside Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea's Didier Drogba and Carlos Tevez of Manchester City.
Bookmakers William Hill rate Rooney a 1-50 shot to capture the award for the first time and become the first English player since Liverpool's Steven Gerrard in 2006 to win it.
United veteran Ryan Giggs, who is Welsh, won the 2009 award and Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, now with Real Madrid, received it the previous two seasons.
The 24-year-old Rooney and 22-year-old Fabregas are also among the nominees for young player of the year alongside Aston Villa's James Milner and Birmingham goalkeeper Joe Hart.
Rooney, who is 1-14 to win both awards, won that in 2005 and '06 and Fabregas collected it in 2008.
