GETTY IMAGES

N’Golo Kante was one of the best players for Leicester City last season, but he wasn’t named as the Player of the Year, rather it went to Riyad Mahrez. He has been phenomenal in his first season with Chelsea as well, but former Arsenal and France striker Thierry Henry, believes the likes of Eden Hazard and Diego Costa will easily win the award ahead of the Frenchman.

“Hazard and Diego Costa will be on the tip of a lot people’s pens but so too should N’Golo,” Henry says.

“It’s never usually his type of player who wins these awards. People pay to see Costa rattle them home or Hazard score goals like he did against Arsenal.

“Usually your Kante-type player goes relatively unnoticed. They are only missed when they’re not there. But Kante is so special, you do notice him.

“It’s an art to sense danger, to tackle, to intercept.”