Hazard pitted against Kane for PFA awards
CHELSEA midfielder Eden Hazard and Tottenham striker Harry Kane are both in contention to sweep the board at the PFA Awards after the players’ union revealed this season’s nominations yesterday.
Hazard and Kane are among four men shortlisted for both the Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year honours, along with Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea and Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho.
Chelsea striker Diego Costa and Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez have also been nominated for the senior award, while Blues stopper Thibaut Courtois and Liverpool attacker Raheem Sterling make up the junior list.
Gareth Bale, then of Spurs, became only the third player to win both awards in the same season in 2012-13, shortly before he joined Real Madrid in a world record £80m transfer.
Belgium international Hazard, 24, has led the Blues’ seemingly inevitable charge towards a first Premier League title for five years, scoring 12 goals and providing a further 11 assists in 31 top-flight matches.
Kane, 21, has netted 19 from 28 in the league, plus another 10 in all competitions, in a breakthrough campaign that also saw him score on his England debut against Lithuania last month.
De Gea, 24, has shone throughout United’s transitional season, keeping 10 clean sheets in 32 league games, while Coutinho, 22, has hit four goals in 29 top-flight appearances to ease Liverpool’s struggles.
Players must be aged 23 or under on 1 July to qualify for the junior category and may not vote for themselves or their team-mates in the ballot. Winners are to be announced on Sunday 26 April.
Costa, 26, has struck 19 in just 24 league games since his £32m summer move from Atletico Madrid, while Sanchez, a £35m summer arrival from Barcelona, has scored 14 and created eight more in 29 matches.
PFA AWARD NOMINEES
Player of Year
Diego Costa
Philippe Coutinho
David de Gea
Eden Hazard
Harry Kane
Alexis Sanchez
Young Player
Thibaut Courtois
Philippe Coutinho
David de Gea
Eden Hazard
Harry Kane
Raheem Sterling