In a season where credit has been dominated by the success story of Leicester City, fittingly, the PFA player of the year shortlist see’s three of the six nominees in Foxes colours. Jamie Vardy, N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez, Harry Kane, Dimitri Payet and Mesut Ozil make up the shortlist for 2015/16 season.
Mesut Ozil has registered six goals and 18 assists in the Premier League and looks set to beat Thierry Henry’s record of 20 in a league season, whilst N’Golo Kante has provided the engine to Leicester’s charge and Riyad Mahrez the flair and wizardry.
Harry Kane is the Premier League’s top goalscorer as it stands and has proved to one-season-wonder whisperers that he is the real deal and across London, Dimitri Payet often looks impossible to challenge, he’s scored important goals and his free-kicks have lit up the English game. He’s irreplaceable, where would the Hammers be without him?
Finally, Jamie Vardy was playing non-league football three years ago and has made phenomenal progress, scoring in international fixtures against Germany and Holland. Not to mention smashing Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record for scoring in consecutive Premier League games.
The shortlist almost picks itself this year but Transfer Tavern have analysed five players who have been unlucky to miss out…
Hit last year’s winner below to see FIVE players criminally overlooked on the honours list!
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Toby Alderweireld
Spurs boast the best defensive record in league, making a dramatic change to their struggles last year.
Toby Alderweireld has linked up with compatriot Jan Vertonghen to form a formidable partnership in the Spurs backline and the Belgian has made the least errors leading to goal scoring opportunities than any other defender in the League.
He is also the only squad member to have played every minute of the Lilywhites’ campaign.
Romelu Lukaku
In a season of ups and downs, Lukaku has been a driving force in an Everton side who have heavily underachieved.
Netting 18 league goals and providing six assists for his side, only Mahrez and Vardy have made more direct contributions to goals in the League this season (Lukaku: 24, Mahrez, Vardy: 27).
It’s hard to say where Everton would be without Lukaku, but if they were nearer the top, Lukaku would be aggrieved to miss out on the shortlist.
Virgil Van Dijk
In the absence of Alderweireld, Southampton were forced to find a replacement for the gap left in their defence.
£13million brought in Virgil Van Dijk from Celtic and he’s slotted in neatly. The Dutchman has 16 clean sheets for Southampton this year and has won man of the match seven times in the league this season, only Mahrez (9) has won the award more times.
He’s scored three goals to add to his defensive capabilities and has established himself as one of Ronald Koeman’s most valuable players.
Sergio Aguero
Aguero missed a chunk of the season, but with 18 goals and two assists, he’s managed to keep within the top four goal scorers in the League and is still Manchester City’s most prized asset.
Like Lukaku, if Manchester City were in a more pleasing position in the League maybe the shortlist would have looked a little different, with new signing Kevin De Bruyne deserving a special mention for his efforts this season despite missing a phase of the term through injury.
Danny Drinkwater
Drinkwater earned his first call-up to the national side this year after impressing alongside PFA player of the year nominee N’Golo Kante.
The 26-year-old has been the embodiment of box-to-box football for Leicester and has picked up five assists in the League, his key attributes being his range of passing and ability to break up play and restart at his own tempo.
Whilst Drinkwater’s efforts have not gone unnoticed, he has been somewhat overshadowed by the Kante masterclass and if it wasn’t for such a Leicester dominated shortlist, the Englishman may have made the cut on another day.
