David Beckham hails 'humble' N'Golo Kante and 'special player' Dele Alli after receiving PFA merit award

The former England captain was honoured by the PFA on Sunday night as Kante and Alli bagged the top awards for the 2016/17 season

David Beckham received the PFA's merit award for his contribution to club and country (Getty)

David Beckham revealed his admiration for "special" duo N'Golo Kante and Dele Alli after they were respectively named the Professional Footballers' Association player and young player of the year.

Both midfielders have excelled to the same extent they did during the 2015-16 season, in which Alli was also named the young player of the year and Kante was hugely influential in Leicester unexpectedly winning the Premier League title.

France's Kante has since joined Chelsea, who are favourites to finish first this season but remain under pressure from Tottenham, where Alli is perhaps the most important player, and Beckham spoke of how impressed he is by both.

The former England captain, 41, received the PFA's merit award for his achievements for club and country, and discussing the impression Kante had made on him he said: "He's a special talent.

"What I like about him - actually what I love about him - (is) he plays the game in such a humble way.

"He works hard, he can pass the ball, he can tackle, he can score goals.

"To have won the Premier League the way he did last season with Leicester was special, and the position Chelsea are in at the moment - if they go on to win the title it'll be a special couple of years for him.

"We'll see what happens towards the end of the season, but he's a special talent, and to be the man mountain that he is, and the size he is, says a lot about him."

Alli is potentially even on course to become English football's talisman, as Beckham was during his peak with Manchester United and England, and asked of the 21-year-old, he said: "Again, special player.

"We're lucky as a nation to have young talented players coming through, and he is without doubt one of the shining lights of these young players.

"He plays the game with a certain arrogance, and it's good to have that arrogance, because a lot of top players have that. They play in a way where you expect great things from them, and the last couple of seasons he's produced those things.


 Kante was honoured for his excellent form for Chelsea this season (Getty)
 (Getty Images)

"He's a joy to watch. He's a player that hopefully, if he works hard like he has been working hard, and continues to play for the manager (of Tottenham, Mauricio Pochettino) that he's played for - because I think he's a special manager, and he's looking after him in the right way - he's a special player.

"I hope he continues to get better week after week, because as an England fan, we want to see these players perform the way he's performing."


 Dele Alli was named Young Player of the Year for the second time 
 (Getty)

At the awards ceremony in central London, Manchester City's Lucy Bronze was named the women's player of the year, and Birmingham's Jess Carter was named the women's young player of the year.

The retired Kelly Smith, who won the quadruple of a League Cup, FA Cup, Premier League and Uefa Cup with Arsenal in 2007, received the PFA's special achievement Iaward.

PA