It is that time of the year again. The football season is nearing its end and clubs will evaluate their team’s successes and failures. The performances of the players will be assessed and a decision on their futures will be made as well.
Certain players will have excellent seasons and will be in contention for winning awards as the season comes to an end. In England players under the age of 23 at the start of the 2016/17 season are eligible for winning the PFA Young Player of the Year based on their outstanding performances over the course of the season. However, the award has always been won by a team in the English top-flight.
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Last year, Tottenham’s Dele Alli won the award as he announced himself on the world stage with displays that belied his age in the Premier League. The award acts as an indicator for potential future superstars with players such as Tottenham’s Harry Kane, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and current Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale having won it in previous years.
These players are currently lynchpins of their respective teams and this shows how the Young Player of the Year is a marker for the next big thing in football. So, here are the top 5 contenders for the award this season.
#5 Ross Barkley
The jury is still out on Ross Barkley as he continues to divide opinion amongst fans and pundits. On one side, his quality is unquestionable with his dribbling ability reminiscent of Paul Gascoigne and a young Wayne Rooney. However, it is his inability to impose himself on games consistently that is often criticised by his manager Ronald Koeman and recently by former Everton player Leon Osman.
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While his rise to become a world-beater is still in question, he had a superb 2017 so far for Everton and has impressed with great performances in most games. He has picked up six assists this year alone and has eight assists in total along with four goals this season. Further, he makes 2.4 key passes per game which a number which is bettered only by Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne, Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil, Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen and former West Ham player Dimitri Payet.
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The 23-year old Englishman has an outside chance to win the award, especially if he puts on top displays between now and the end of voting.
#4 Michael Keane
The oldest player on the list, having turned 24 in January, Michael Keane is enjoying a stellar season in the heart of Burnley’s defence who have been rock-solid at home this season. The 2012 Reserve Player of the Year winner at Manchester United has finally found a stage to hone his skills and is now an exciting modern defender who is extremely comfortable on the ball.
After loan spells at Leicester City, Derby County and Blackburn Rovers failed to procure game-time at Manchester United, Keane moved to Burnley first on loan and later permanently. Currently. Keane is a better defender than the likes of Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo at United and his calmness and composure on the ball especially in big matches this season has been a highlight of his game.
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These performances have definitely caught the eye of top teams and he will very likely be subject to a number of bids from clubs vying for his services. With his recent England call-up and massive support from his mentor Rio Ferdinand, Keane is another outside bet to be bestowed with the award.
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#3 Leroy Sane/Raheem Sterling
The Manchester City duo of Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling have been tearing teams apart with their blistering pace and magical wing-play under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola this season. Leroy Sane was signed from German club Schalke last summer and after a bedding-in period in England, he has come into his own, especially in 2017, with one of the highlights of the season being his performances in the Champions League round of 16 against French side AS Monaco.
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Raheem Sterling, on the other hand, had generally struggled since his big-money move from Liverpool in 2015. However, the 22-year old has roared back into form this season with nine goals and nine assists so far across all competitions. His hesitation in front of goal still persists, but Guardiola has unlocked the exciting attacking play of the English youngster and the latter is enjoying his football once again.
(Video Courtesy – Mathews Football YouTube Channel)
Sane’s quick adjustment to the league and his top performances give him a decent chance for the award while Sterling’s superb form this season coupled with end-product mean he cannot be ruled out for the award either.
#2 Romelu Lukaku
The big Belgian is one of the hottest young strikers in world football and is in line to win the Premier League Golden Boot this season as he holds a comfortable four-goal cushion over Harry Kane in second spot a the conclusion of gameweek 32.
Lukaku has been an absolute goal machine throughout his career and with Everton, he has finally unlocked his full potential. He has 23 goals and six assists in the league this season and has been in fine form in recent months, especially at Goodison Park. He is on an eight-match scoring streak at home currently with 13 goals in those games. The previous Everton player to perform a similar feat was Fred Pickering in 1964-65, which shows the magnitude of Lukaku’s achievement.
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In current form, Lukaku is a very strong contender for the Young Player of the Year award and will earn a nomination for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award as well. However, Everton’s absence from the top six could make it difficult for the Belgian to win the award and further, this is his last chance to win it given he will turn 24 in May this year.
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#1 Dele Alli
Dele Alli is the absolute favourite to win the Young Player of the Year award for the second year in a row and could join the select club of Ryan Giggs, Robbie Fowler and Wayne Rooney to have won the award twice.
Alli has again been immense for the Lillywhites this season with 16 goal and 5 assists so far – only behind team-mate Harry Kane, Everton’s Lukaku, Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, Chelsea’s Diego Costa and Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic in terms of total goals the player has been involved in, and also the only midfielder amongst them as well.
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The youngest player on the list, Alli has scored more goals than any other player from a midfield position in Europe’s top five leagues this season and is a vital component of Tottenham’s unlikely title chase. However, Alli has a bright future ahead of him given he has already scored more goals than English legends Steven Gerrard, David Beckham and Paul Scholes have at the same age.
(Video Courtesy – Rafael Football YouTube Channel)
His terrific form, age and key involvement in Mauricio Pochettino’s building of Spurs into an unbeatable force point towards Dele Alli winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award once again. Further, he is definitely going to get nominated for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award and will give a good fight for the eventual winner as Alli’s contribution is very likely not going to prevent Antonio Conte’s Chelsea from winning the Premier League.
