Tottenham stars shortlisted for PFA awards
By Ryan Wrenn
For the second season running, Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Dele Alli are in the running for the most prestigious individual awards available to players in the Premier League.
As the Guardian reports, the Tottenham striker again features on the Player of the Year list while also earning a spot in the Young Player of the Year list, in which Dele also features.
None of which is a particularly big surprise. Kane remains in the running for his second consecutive Golden Boot despite two prolonged absences through injury. Meanwhile, Dele is building on his Young Player award from last season with astonishing pace.
That being said, neither player is a clear lock for either award. Chelsea’s wonderful rejuvenation under Antonio Conte owes a huge debt to two players featured on that list. Eden Hazard is back in stunning form, while N’Golo Kanté is somehow building on an already immaculate reputation as the best defensive midfielder in England.
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Tottenham’s rivals Arsenal also contribute their own star man, Alexis Sánchez. The Chilean thrived in his adjusted role at striker and currently sits just one goal behind Kane in the league.
Two other strikers round out the list: Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Everton’s Romelu Lukaku — the latter of which current leads the charge for the Golden Boot. As usually, scoring goals is a good a way to find yourself in such shortlists as there is.
The Spurs fanbase, thus far at least, isn’t too worried about the end result. Rather, their issue lies in the unusual placement of Kane and Dele in the Young Players lineup.
By the letter of the law, of course, both players fall within the requirements for that award. Kane is 23, and Dele only just turned 21 years old yesterday.
The issue is that calling Kane or Dele “young” players implies something that is patently not true. Neither are new to the league, nor is this their first professional season. Indeed, their appearance on both lists last season hardly makes them some recent revelation.
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Moreover, Dele — so Spurs fans’ critique goes — is more deserving of the full honor of a Player of the Year award. Despite not being a striker himself, he is only three goals behind Kane in the league with 16. His influence in deeper areas of the pitch, his penchant for devilish tricks and sheer drive should include him in the elite conversation.