It’s getting to be that time of the year, awards season. This morning, the Professional Footballer’s Association (PFA) announced their nominees for Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year — the ones voted on by fellow professionals; not to be confused by the Fans’ Player of the Year or the Football Writers’ Player of the Year.
As expected, both Eden Hazard and N’Golo Kanté have made the cut.
#PFAawards | PFA Players' Player of the Year nominees: @hazardeden10 @Ibra_official @Hkane @nglkante @RomeluLukaku9 @Alexis_Sanchez pic.twitter.com/cZUC7KePQE
— PFA (@PFA) April 13, 2017
It’s a rather impressive list of nominees, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku, and Alexis Sanchez making up the rest of the six total. Hazard won this award two seasons ago while Kanté lost out to his then teammate Riyad Mahrez last season. There’s a decent chance that a similar fate awaits him this season.
Meanwhile, the so-called Young Player of the Year nominees are dominated by not so young or inexperienced players. Nominating seasoned professionals like Lukaku or Kane for this award is surely a joke. Other nominees include Dele Alli, who won it last season, plus Michael Keane, Jordan Pickford, and Leroy Sane.
#PFAawards | PFA Young Player of the Year nominees: @Dele_Alli @Hkane Michael Keane @RomeluLukaku9 @JPickford1 @LeroySane19 pic.twitter.com/Js0Et3ZWWV
— PFA (@PFA) April 13, 2017
Chelsea received a couple nominations on the women’s side as well, with Karen Carney and Millie Bright making the list for Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year, respectively.
#PFAawards | PFA Players' Player of the Year nominees: @LucyBronze @karenjcarney @janeross10 @JillScottJS8 @itscarolineweir @ellsbells89 pic.twitter.com/K9ApsOT6y0
— PFA (@PFA) April 13, 2017
Chelsea last won this award two seasons ago as well, with Ji So-yun collecting it in 2014-15. Chelsea have never won the Young Player of the Year, though these awards have only been handed out since 2013.
#PFAawards | PFA Young Player of the Year nominees: @Mdawg1bright @_JessCarter @lilkeets @StanwayGeorgia Keira Walsh @itscarolineweir pic.twitter.com/fE97oy86l7
— PFA (@PFA) April 13, 2017
Good luck to all four Blues!