The Frenchman, who is on course to
win a second successive Premier League
title after also being part of the Leicester side which upset the odds last
season, secured the most votes from his fellow players.
He saw off competition from Chelsea
team-mate Eden Hazard - who won the award in 2015 - plus Tottenham's Harry
Kane, Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, Zlatan Ibrahimovic
of Manchester United
and Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez.
Kante was presented with the award
at the Grosvenor Hotel in London on Sunday evening. Tottenham midfielder Dele
Alli won the young player prize for the second successive season, Manchester
City's Lucy Bronze won the women's player of the year award for the second time
having also won it in 2014, and Birmingham's Jess Carter topped the voting in
the women's young player category.
Former England captain David Beckham received the PFA's Merit award for
his contribution to the game.
Kante has played a key role in
Chelsea's surge to the top of the league this season and is renowned as a
tireless box-to-box competitor who helps break up opposition attacks and
initiate them for his own side.
He is set to become the first player
to achieve the distinction of winning successive Premier League titles with
different clubs if Chelsea can hold off Tottenham in this season's championship
race.
Blues manager Antonio Conte joked
after another commanding display by Kante in a win over West Ham last month
that he is struggling to find a fault in his game.
"He made five mistakes. He has
to improve in this. He has to improve," Conte said.
"I am joking. But I have to
find one situation to tell him to improve. He's playing really well.
"He has great stamina, great
quality and we are working to improve that quality. I'm pleased for him."
Kante is modest about his
outstanding ability, as former Leicester director of football Steve Walsh revealed.
Walsh, speaking to the Sunday Times,
said that Kante had approached him about playing for Mali, the country of his
parents' birth, last season during Leicester's incredible and unlikely title
triumph. Walsh told Kante he should represent France, but the player asked
whether he was good enough.
Walsh said: "You'll get in any
team, mate. If we had a World XI, you'd be in it."
Alli's young player prize is some
consolation for his controversial omission from the six-man shortlist for the
senior award.
The England midfielder, 21, has
again been critical to Spurs' title push and heading into the weekend was the
highest-scoring player in the league not recognised as a forward, with 16
goals.
England full-back Bronze won the
women's player of the year award for the second time, after being part of the Manchester City squad which won the Women's Super
League without losing a single game in 2016.
Birmingham midfielder Carter saw off
competition from three Manchester City players to win the women's young player
of the year award.
Beckham, who won 115 England caps
and starred at club level for Manchester United, followed ex-Red Devils
team-mate Ryan Giggs in winning the Merit prize. He also
received the prize alongside his 'Class of 92' United team-mates in 2013.
Kante said: "To be chosen by
the players to be player of the year means a lot to me.
"It means the world to be
chosen and it's been two beautiful seasons, one with Leicester, and we are in
good form with Chelsea. To be player of the year, it's a great honour."
On his move from Leicester to
Stamford Bridge, Kante continued: "It's a different type of playing, but
with the manager, with the players, everything is easy, because we work a lot
to be good in the games. It's working very well."
Asked about the influence of boss
Antonio Conte, the former Boulogne and Caen player said: "He knows what he
wants from the players.
"He wants to win, and we work
very, very, very hard in training for him. He put a winning mentality into the
squad, and everyone wants to give their best for the team, and to make Chelsea
win titles."
The Blues are four points clear at
the top of the Premier League and Paris-born Kante added: "We have to
fight for six more games.
"We're going to fight like a
final for every game, and hopefully we can win the league at the end of the
season."
Chelsea will also face Arsenal in
the FA Cup final at Wembley on May 27 and, on talk of
a double, he said: "We're going to fight for both competitions.
"The cup is just one game, and
the league six games, and we're going to give our best to win these two
competitions."
On the PFA's contribution, the 26-year-old
said: "It's important because when we want to improve football, to concern
everyone, it's good to have unity,
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