The PFA player of the year is given to the best performer of the season. Parameters that are probably considered for the award are performance, contribution to the team, number of goals and assists and the achievements of the squad as a whole.
The players who were nominated for this season’s award were Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, Mesut Ozil, N’Golo Kante and Dimitri Payet. But several other players who have put in admirable performances all season have gone unnoticed.
Here are 5 players who deserved to be nominated for the PFA player of the season
5) Dele Alli
Dele Alli has had a wonderful debut season for Tottenham Hotspur. He has been one of the standout performers for his side and has contributed in all aspects of the game. He has formed a brilliant partnership with Harry Kane.
Alli has scored 10 goals and assisted a further 9 in the league and he is only 20 years of age. He has been the main creative force in a team that has the likes of Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen.
Alli’s goals and assists have helped Spurs to second in the table. They are currently 5 points behind leaders Leicester City. Spurs’ title challenge will hinge on the performance of Alli in the remaining few games.
Alli has already been included in the PFA Team of the year and has also been nominated for the PFA Young player of the year award. Considering that, it seems a bit harsh that he wasn’t given the nod for the PFA player of the year award too.
4) Eric Dier
Another consistent performer for Tottenham Hotspur this season has been Eric Dier. The young English holding midfielder has been exceptional in his role of breaking up play and starting off attacks for his team.
Dier initially started out as a left back last season and was also played in central defence but he seems to have finally found his calling in central midfield. Mauricio Pochettino masterstroke has worked wonders for both player and coach with Tottenham conceding the least number of goals in the league this season.
Dier has either played with Moussa Dembele or Ryan Mason during the season but more often than not it has been Dembele next to him. The two have dominated matches at times ensuring their attacking players have enough freedom to cause havoc.
Dier has also acted as the shield for the defence when their full-backs have gone forward to join the attack. Dier was not included in the team of the year or the PFA young player of the year.
3) Toby Alderweireld
Completing the Tottenham trio on this list is Toby Alderweireld. The defender arrived at the club in the summer of 2015 from Atletico Madrid to the surprise of many. He was highly rated and had a good season with Southampton last year but Atletico decided to offload the player.
But the 27-year-old has been an absolute revelation for the Lilywhites. He’s formed an admirable partnership with Jan Vertonghen and the two have madeup the tightest defence in the league.
Alderweireld has made Hugo Lloris’ job very simple with the keeper having very less to do against less challenging opposition. Even after Vertonghen got injured the defence of Tottenham continued to stay strong because of the Belgian's presence
The player has also scored goals at crucial times for Spurs. He’s had a hand in two goals and has also scored 4 times this season. Usually, defenders are not first choice when it comes to drafting a PFA shortlist but in this case maybe they could have made an exception
2) David De Gea
David De Gea was nominated last season for the PFA Player of the year but he has missed out this time. The Spanish stopper has been one of the main reasons United have managed to get where they are in the table.
De Gea has probably been one of Manchester United’s best players over the last two or three seasons. At times, he has kept United in games almost single-handedly. The 25-year-old has been regularly linked with a move to Real Madrid in recent times
He almost did join Real Madrid last season but the deal fell through at the last moment. Manchester United have the most number of clean sheets in the league but that has largely been down to De Gea’s brilliance between the sticks.
If United fail to qualify for the Champions League this season they might struggle to keep hold of their star man. But the keeper definitely deserved to be nominated for the award this season.
1) Sergio Aguero
Sergio Aguero recently reached a Premier League landmark. He became the 25th player in to score 100 goals in the Premier League. It also made him the second fastest player to reach the milestone behind Alan Shearer.
Aguero has been a phenomenal striker for sometime in the league but has never won the PFA award. He has consistently scored more than 20 goals almost every season. It’s unbelievable that a player of his calibre and achievements has not yet named the best player in England.
Aguero has had his fair share of injury problems and this year has been no exception. Despite that he is still only two goals behind top scorer Harry Kane. Kane has bagged 24 goals in 34 appearances while Aguero has managed his 22 in just 27.
Although Manchester City have underperformed this season, Aguero has been one of their best players. With teams like Real Madrid looking at his signature it’s baffling how he has been overlooked for the nomination
