Tottenham Player of the Year: 5 candidates ranked

Despite a recent downturn in form that’s seen them dragged into a four-way scrap for the final two Champions League spots, Tottenham Hotspur have still had an excellent season by anyone’s standards. They remain 4th in the Premier League – and could move back to 3rd by beating Huddersfield on Saturday – and have made it to the last 8 of the Champions League for the first time since 2010/11.

Mauricio Pochettino has done a tremendous job with the Spurs squad over the past 5 seasons, turning them into genuine title contenders by helping fringe players improve, bringing in key newcomers and promoting youngsters to the forefront. And this season he’s managed to do it without signing a single player.

Now at home in their new stadium, Tottenham’s squad remains relatively small in comparison to their rivals, but that doesn’t make them much worse off, if at all. They still have some of the best players in the Premier League, and here’s a look at 5 contenders for their Player of the Year for 2018/19.

#5 Toby Alderweireld

Toby Alderweireld has been a commanding presence at the back for Tottenham

For a long period in the summer, it looked like Belgian centre-back Toby Alderweireld would be on his way out of Tottenham, as sides like Manchester United and Juventus were known to be interested in him, and his contract was set to expire in the summer of 2019. No move materialised though, and there’s no doubt that Spurs fans are probably very happy about that.

After being laid up with injuries for long periods of 2017/18, Alderweireld has been back to his commanding self this season, ensuring that Tottenham’s defence remains strong even against some of the most dangerous attacking talent in the world. The Belgian was particularly outstanding in the Champions League Round of 16 second leg against Borussia Dortmund, and it’s quite clear that Spurs are a tougher nut to crack with him in the side.

Whether Spurs will be forced to sell Alderweireld in the summer is still up for debate – they extended his contract by a year earlier this season, but that extension also allows for a £25m release clause – a relatively low price for a defender of his calibre. If the Belgian does leave, there will be no doubt that Tottenham will miss him – particularly after a season of this standard.

#4 Christian Eriksen

Christian Eriksen is widely recognised as Tottenham's main creative force

Like Alderweireld, the future of Christian Eriksen at Tottenham is very much up in the air right now – the Danish playmaker has just a year to run on his contract, talks over a new one at Spurs have stalled, and the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona have expressed an interest in signing him. Regardless of his future though, Eriksen has enjoyed another excellent season, and it’s clear why Europe’s biggest clubs are looking at him.

Simply put, Eriksen is Tottenham’s creative hub and without him, even their most dangerous attackers like Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son aren’t as effective. The Dane has registered 11 assists in Premier League action this season – more than double the number of anyone else in the Spurs squad – and he’s also chipped in with 8 goals in all competitions – including a priceless winner against Inter Milan in the Champions League group stage.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Eriksen is that it’s honestly hard to see exactly how Pochettino would replace him if he is sold. One of the Premier League’s most outstanding attacking talents, if Tottenham can hold onto Eriksen for at least a couple more seasons, their fans will probably be in rapture.

#3 Jan Vertonghen

Jan Vertonghen often acts as Tottenham's leader on the pitch

Hugo Lloris might be Tottenham’s captain, but while the French goalkeeper is definitely a key man in Pochettino’s squad, most Spurs fans would probably argue that the team’s real leader on the pitch is actually veteran defender Jan Vertonghen. The Belgian has been at the club now for 7 seasons, but the form he’s shown in 2018/19 may well be the best of his career.

Vertonghen started the season with a bang by scoring on the opening day against Newcastle, and since then he’s been brilliant, particularly in Champions League action, where he was outstanding against Inter Milan and in the first leg of the round of 16 tie against Borussia Dortmund, which saw him score and also make an assist in a Man of the Match-level performance.

Despite primarily being a central defender, Vertonghen has even filled in at left-back on numerous occasions this year when Spurs have lost Danny Rose and Ben Davies – and did such a good job there that there were suggestions he could actually be the club’s best player in the position. Essentially, Vertonghen is the glue that holds Spurs together, and he’s a sure-fire contender for their Player of the Year.

#2 Harry Kane

Harry Kane remains Tottenham's most lethal goalscorer

After a summer that saw him crowned the World Cup’s Golden Boot winner with 6 goals, some fans were concerned that Harry Kane could be about to burn himself out in 2018/19. Those fears just haven’t been recognised, however, as Kane has once again proven himself as Tottenham’s most reliable source of goals, as well as one of the most deadly marksmen in the world.

The England captain already has 24 goals in 37 appearances across all competitions – 17 of them coming in the Premier League – and while he might not be on course to match his ridiculous total of 41 goals in 2017/18, he spent 7 games on the shelf with an ankle injury across January and February. Since returning though, he’s picked up right where he left off – scoring 4 goals in his last 7 games for Tottenham.

Kane has also improved his overall game by leaps and bounds over the last couple of seasons – he’s not just a goalscorer any more, as he’s now capable of splitting defences with passes, as is evidenced by his 4 Premier League assists. The striker was last named Tottenham’s Player of the Year in 2014/15 – and it wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see him receive the accolade again this time.

#1 Heung-Min Son

Heung-Min Son has stepped to the forefront for Tottenham hugely this season

While Harry Kane remains Tottenham’s best goalscorer, and Christian Eriksen is widely recognised as their most creative player, there’s a fair argument to suggest that it’s Heung-Min Son who has been their most dangerous attacker thus far in 2018/19. Despite missing two substantial periods of the season with the South Korean national side, whenever he has played for Spurs, he’s been utterly brilliant.

Son has scored 12 goals in the Premier League this season – more than any other player outside of Harry Kane – and when Kane was sidelined with injury in the early part of 2019, it was Son who stepped up to the mark in his absence, scoring key goals against Watford, Newcastle, Leicester, and against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. He also made history last week by scoring the first ever goal in Tottenham’s new stadium.

A versatile attacker able to play as a wide forward or as a central striker in the absence of Kane, Son has become one of Spurs’ true key men, and at this stage it’s hard to imagine Pochettino’s side without their perma-grinning South Korean superstar. He’s come to the forefront massively this season, and that’s why he’s the favourite for Tottenham’s Player of the Year award.