It is that time of year once again when it comes to crowning Tottenham Hotspur's player of the season. An extremely frustrating campaign in north London as Spurs failed to build on their Champions League finish 12 months earlier and missed out on Europe altogether, all will be hoping that the Lilywhites fare much better in 2023/24.
It will certainly be a new-look Tottenham with the club needing to appoint a new head coach and managing director of football, as well as upgrading their playing squad as they look to push on and achieve their goals. In terms of the campaign just gone, Harry Kane, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Emerson Royal are in the mix for football.london's Tottenham Hotspur player of the season award.
That means a new player will be claiming the award this year after Son Heung-min won the accolade 12 months ago following a stunning year which saw him win the Premier League Golden Boot. Whereas in previous years it can be quite close to come out on top for the award, it is a rather straightforward decision for the 2022/23 term.
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Kane should win the gong by a landslide after an incredible season despite the struggles of Tottenham. The fact he finished with 32 goals from 49 appearances in all competitions is remarkable and it doesn't bear thinking about where Spurs would be in the Premier League table had they not had the England captain at their disposal.
Rodrigo Bentancur's season-ending injury sustained in February means it is very much a one-horse race for the award. An injury that also played a major part in derailing Spurs' season, the Uruguayan international was a shining light for the Lilywhites in the first part of the campaign as he contributed with some huge performances in the middle of the park and also chipped in with some vital goals.
Even if the 25-year-old had not suffered that injury at Leicester and played his part in the run-in, he still would have had a major task on his hands to win the award given the levels produced by Kane. What makes the striker's year even more impressive is that he suffered the ultimate heartbreak in December after missing a penalty in England's crucial World Cup quarter-final clash against France.
A moment that would have seen many suffer a major plummet in confidence and performances at club level suffer as a result, Kane bounced back immediately with a fine header for Tottenham in their Boxing Day clash against Brentford. He never looked back from that moment and hit a further 18 goals in all competitions in the second part of the campaign, including six in his final five Premier League games.
His finest moment came in February as he became Tottenham's all-time top goalscorer with his 267th goal for the club in the 1-0 win over Man City. Of all the lows suffered over the course of the term, this was undoubtedly a high and the post-match celebrations where Kane was mobbed by his teammates was one that will never be forgotten by all those inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Not only impressing with the 32 goals he scored, including that rocket against Brentford in the final home game, Kane was a creative force for Tottenham and stood out in all other aspects of his play, most notably his exquisite range of passing.
Of the other candidates in contention for the award, Emerson deserves a huge mention after battling back from the jeers he received after coming off against Leeds United to become a key player for the team in the second half of the campaign. Delivering some very good showings, the Brazilian also contributed in the final third with goals against Man City and West Ham.
On the subject of goals, Hojbjerg improved on his tally from the previous year as he registered five goals and seven assists, with his last-minute strike away at Marseille in November one of very few high points in a dismal campaign. Very good in the first half of the year, the Dane's performances did unfortunately drop off in 2023 when Spurs really needed him at his very best in the absence of Bentancur.
There can only be one winner, though, and Kane looks to be a certainty to claim football.london's Tottenham Hotspur player of the season
Who is your Spurs player of the season? Have your say by voting below!
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