Alli becomes 4th Tottenham star to win Young Player of the Year award in last 5 seasons

Dele Alli's breakout season with Tottenham earned him the 2015-16 PFA Young Player of the Year award on Sunday evening, the latest in a string of career landmarks for the 20-year-old midfielder.

Alli beat out 24-goal teammate Harry Kane, Stoke City shot-stopper Jack Butland, Liverpool dynamo Philippe Coutinho, and Everton bright spots Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley for the honour.

In claiming the honour, Alli becomes the fourth Tottenham player in five years to take home the hardware, following in the footsteps of Kane, Gareth Bale and Kyle Walker. Only Chelsea winger Eden Hazard (2013-14 winner) has impeded Spurs' dominance of the award.

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Last year, Alli had been playing League One football with Milton Keynes Dons, and now he is a protagonist in a title-chasing side. He has enthralled the Premier League with his deft touches, his backheel passes, and his perfect timing. With 10 goals and nine assists, Alli has thrived under manager Mauricio Pochettino and his policy of high-octane football.

He opened his scoring account against would-be title rival Leicester City, his equaliser in just his second appearance proving crucial in a race that's heated up towards the end of the campaign.

England was the next stop. A full international debut came in a 2-0 win over France in November, and Alli was naturally named the Man of the Match.

The turn of the year didn't interrupt Tottenham's new star.

He scored one of the goals of the season at Crystal Palace, picking up the ball, juggling with it in the air, and turning and blasting a shot past the goalkeeper. If his talent hadn't been confirmed, it was there and then.

Fast-forward to April, and he's still contributing at a personal record pace. His brace against Stoke City last week kept Spurs within striking distance of Leicester, a statement of intent that the north Londoners are here to fight for a first league crown since 1961.