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FWA Footballer of the Year voting reveals Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld didn't get a single vote

Seven Leicester players featured among the votes, but only Harry Kane and Dele Alli featured from Spurs

Jack de Menezes
Monday 02 May 2016 13:17 BST
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Toby Alderweireld did not receive a single vote in the FWA Footballer of the Year award
Toby Alderweireld did not receive a single vote in the FWA Footballer of the Year award

The voting for the Football Writers’ Association’s Footballer of the Year award, won by Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, has been revealed.

11 players made the list, representing four different Premier League clubs, and it was unsurprising that the bulk of it featured Leicester players given the East Midlands side are just 90 minutes away from winning the Premier League – should Tottenham fail to beat Chelsea on Monday night.

Spurs were represented on the list, with the north London side enjoying their best ever season in the Premier League era, while Manchester City and West Ham also saw players receive votes from the British football media.

However, there was one notable exclusion from the list that has not gone down well with Tottenham fans. Even though both Harry Kane and Dele Alli both received votes, standout defender Toby Alderweireld did not receive a single vote, despite the Belgian currently on a run of 690 minutes in the Premier League without conceding a foul.

Vardy took the spoils with 36% of the vote, and he was joined in gaining recognition by his Leicester teammates Kasper Schmeichel, Wes Morgan, Danny Simpson, Danny Drinkwater, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante.

Making up the list were Manchester City duo Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne, and West Ham midfielder Dimitri Payet, but it was the absence of Alderweireld that irked a number of Tottenham fans who took to social media to voice their displeasure at the 27-year-old being overlooked alongside journalists and football writers who echoed their sentiments.

Alderweireld stepped up this season to lead Spurs’ defence when Jan Vertonghen was sidelined with injury, and the duo – along with Kevin Wimmer – have been part of a defence that has conceded the fewest goals this season, letting in just 26 goals in the Premier League. The next best record comes in the form of Manchester United, who have conceded 31 times this season, while both Leicester and Arsenal have let n a further three goals.

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