N‘Golo Kante collected his Football Writers’ Player of the Year award on Thursday night, and the Chelsea midfielder has set his sights on winning even more silverware next season.
Kante helped the Blues clinch the Premier League title and Arsenal stand in the way of a domestic double with the teams set to face each other in the FA Cup final later this month.
The France International was present to pick up his award to go alongside his PFA gong, and the France international is eyeing an unprecedented quadruple next term.
‘Next season will be a new challenge because we are going to try to keep the title, to win the two cups [FA Cup and EFL Cup] and also we’ll have the Champions League,’ said Kante, who has now won back-to-back Premier League titles.
‘For a club like Chelsea, we want to win everything, we’re going to try and win everything. It’s a new challenge for everyone.’
Kante received the most votes in a poll taking in the FWA’s 340-strong members, with the 26-year-old beating team-mate Eden Hazard and third-placed Dele Alli to the award.
The former Caen midfielder was in the running to win the award last season after helping Leicester win the Premier League title, but he lost out to striker Jamie Vardy, finishing third with team-mate Riyad Mahrez in second place.
Kante joined Chelsea last summer for £32million, having also played a key role in Leicester becoming champions 12 months ago.
‘It’s special because I couldn’t even say I’m the best player but it’s very special and a great honour,’ Kante continued.
The Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year – N’Golo Kante! pic.twitter.com/YqdJO8NC0u
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 18, 2017
‘It’s not only me. I owe so much to my team-mates because we have achieved so much together this season and we still have the FA Cup.
‘It is very special, a few years ago I was playing in the French lower divisions. Five years ago I wasn’t even professional so to receive this kind of award means I am the kind of player I cannot even imagine being here.’
Five Chelsea players were nominated by the 340 FWA members, with Hazard, David Luiz, Diego Costa and Cesar Azpilicueta also receiving votes.
But Kante collected more than 65 per cent of the journalists’ votes, which were spread over a record number of 17 different players.
Chelsea have stormed to their fifth Premier League title in Antonio Conte’s first season in charge, with the tactical switch to a 3-4-3 system leading to an incredible 13-match winning streak from autumn into winter.
Kante believes the Italian has played a major role in converting last season’s strugglers back into the Premier League’s most formidable force.
‘He [Conte] had a very clear idea of what he wanted from the team, and from me,’ Kante added. ‘Since I joined Chelsea he puts a winning mentality on everyone.
‘The hard work, the important little details, he’s a winner. He’s a hard worker, he wants to work, work and repeat in every training session to win at the weekend.’
Culled from Mail SportÂ
