Leroy Sane’s exceptional season with Manchester City has earned him the Professional Footballers’ Association’s Young Player of the Year award.
Pep Guardiola’s side have thrilled onlookers with their Premier League displays this term, adding the title to their Carabao Cup triumph with five games to spare.
City players made up half of the shortlist for Young Player of the Year award, with vastly-improved Raheem Sterling, summer signing Ederson and exciting forward Sane making the cut.
The latter was announced as winner at the 45th PFA Awards on Sunday at Grosvenor House in central London after a season in which the Germany international has been in scorching form.
He was unable to to attend the ceremony on Sunday evening, having played just hours earlier in City’s 5-0 thrashing of Swansea, but said via a video message: “I’m really honoured to win this award and I have to also say thank you to all my fans, team-mates, to the coaches and all at Man City.
“Also congratulations to all the players who are in these awards with me because I think they deserved it too because they played a really good season for their clubs.”
Signed from Schalke two years ago for an initial £37million, the 22-year-old hit the ground running and was also shortlisted for last season’s Young Player of the Year award.
Sane has kicked on again under the tutelage of Guardiola, scoring 13 goals in all competitions heading into the weekend in a campaign to cherish.
Harry Kane joined the three City players on the shortlist for an award that the Tottenham striker won in 2015. Spurs team-mate Dele Alli was crowned Young Player of the Year in 2016 and 2017.
Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford made the six-man list for the first time, as did exciting Fulham teenager Ryan Sessegnon.
The 17-year-old is the first player outside of the top flight to have been nominated for the accolade.
