Riyad Mahrez was the odds-on favorite for the big prize ahead of Sunday night’s Professional Footballers’ Association awards ceremony in London, and Leicester City’s Algerian winger has been named 2015-16 PFA Player of the Year.
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Having scored 17 goals on the season thus far, while assisting on 11 others for the current Premier League leaders, Mahrez comfortably topped his fellow Fox, Jamie Vardy (22 goals, 6 assists), and Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane (24 goals, 1 assist), the other two finalists for the award. In the process, Mahrez has become the first African to win the Players’ Player of the Year award.
VIDEO: @LCFC's @Mahrez22 reacts to being named the Men’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year! #PFAawardshttps://t.co/Cx07Pme1IH
— Professional Footballers’ Association (@PFA) April 24, 2016
Along with Vardy and a few other Leicester players, Mahrez traveled to the ceremony in style following Sunday’s resounding home victory over Swansea City.
Leicester players travel to PFA Awards on owner's private helicopter after Swansea triumph https://t.co/DIeDfrTXqv pic.twitter.com/nhXb8NURA4
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) April 24, 2016
Tottenham’s Dele Alli took home the PFA Young Player of the Year award for his 10-goal, nine-assist season having only arrived at Spurs from League 1 side MK Dons this past summer.
VIDEO: @Dele_Alli picks up the Men's PFA Young Player of the Year award - congratulations! #PFAawardshttps://t.co/meISX7KRmA
— Professional Footballers’ Association (@PFA) April 24, 2016
[ MORE: Leicester hammer Swansea to move miles closer to PL title ]
Sunday’s individual awards come on the heels of the PFA Team of the Year having been unveiled earlier in the week.