Riyad Mahrez won the PFA Player of the Year award and then dedicated
the prize to all his Leicester team-mates.
Mahrez was presented with the prestigious trophy at the Grosvenor Hotel
in London on Sunday after contributing 17 goals and 11 assists to the
Foxes' fairytale campaign.
Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli won the PFA Young Player of the Year
award.
Congratulations to the Men's PFA Players' Player of the
Year...@Mahrez22!!
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] pic.twitter.com/Qgiemul8rB
- PFA (@PFA) April 24, 2016
Mahrez was flown down by helicopter to the ceremony from the King
Power Stadium, where Claudio Ranieri's side had earlier thrashed
Swansea 4-0 to move eight points clear at the top of the table.
The Algerian held off competition from Dimitri Payet, Harry Kane, Mesut
Ozil and fellow Leicester men Jamie Vardy and N'Golo Kante to win the
award, but dedicated the success to his team-mates.
"All the credit is for them, seriously,'' Mahrez said.
"And for my manager and the staff. Without them I wouldn't receive this
award and I wouldn't score. It's the team spirit, and I want to dedicate it
to them.
"I'm very grateful to receive this award, it's a pleasure. It's extra special
because if the players vote for me it's because they've seen I've been
great this year so I'm happy.
"But it's more team things. Without my team-mates I wouldn't get this
award.''
Mahrez has been instrumental in his team's remarkable rise and he now
joins a glittering list of former winners that includes Kenny Dalglish,
Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
Some bookmakers had Leicester at 5000-1 to be crowned champions at
the start of the season, but, with three games left, they stand on the
brink of arguably the greatest shock in English football history.
"The secret has been team spirit,'' Mahrez said.
"We work so hard for each other. We are like brothers, it's everywhere on
the pitch. That's our strength.
"If sometimes we are not good, we know we are going to run and make
the effort for our team-mates. That is the secret of our success.''