Ranking the top 20 players from the Premier League season: No. 5 - 1

With the 2015-16 Premier League season now in the history books, theScore is looking back, counting down the top 20 players of the campaign

Top 20 Premier League players: The rundown

• No. 20 - 16
• No. 15 - 11
• No. 10 - 6
• No. 5 - 1

No. 5 - Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)

2015-16 Premier League season: 36 appearances, 24 goals, 6 assists; 3.3 shots, 1.4 key passes per 90 minutes

Equal parts record-breaker and trouble-maker, Jamie Vardy's historic campaign was never dull, as the sinewy Englishman led the line for the most unlikely champion the Premier League has ever seen. Speaking strictly of his actions on the pitch, the Sheffield-born striker was a phenom. Setting a new league mark by finding the net in 11 consecutive matches, Vardy's 24-goal season was highlighted by a brilliant looping volley against Liverpool that is easily among the tallies of the year. Even when things went sideways for him - the red card against West Ham and subsequent two-match ban - it couldn't derail the Foxes' magical story. And of course, upon his return to the lineup after the suspension, he found the net in the celebratory win over Everton. A Premier League crown, a wedding, and a potential starting spot for England at Euro 2016. Life has been pretty good to Vardy this year.

No. 4 - Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)

2015-16 Premier League season: 35 appearances, 6 goals, 19 assists; 4.3 key passes, 1.4 successful dribbles per 90 minutes

It's a shame that Mesut Ozil ultimately came up just short of the Premier League single-season assist record, the Arsenal magician finishing one shy of club legend Thierry Henry's historic mark (20). Such a dominant campaign deserved to be historically etched in English football lore. Unfairly derided for a perceived - and wholly inaccurate - lack of effort, the German playmaker continues to make everyone around him better, picking out passes and opening space in ways that most can only dream of. When allowed to sit in the hole and be a true No. 10, there are few better on the planet that the Arsenal star.

No. 3 - Harry Kane (Tottenham)

2015-16 Premier League season: 38 appearances, 25 goals, 1 assist; 4.2 shots, 1.2 key passes per 90 minutes

There were times this season when it felt like Harry Kane simply couldn't miss. Some (inexplicably) thought his breakout season in 2014-15 was a fluke, a hurricane that would pass as quickly as it came. Yeah, nope. Still only 22 years old - though his hairline would suggest otherwise - Kane not only replicated his big year, he exceeded it en route to capturing the Golden Boot. His nine goals in Tottenham's last 10 league matches weren't enough to push Spurs to a title, but that shouldn't take away from what was a stunning season for the man upon whose shoulders much of England's hopes are riding this summer.

No. 2 - N'Golo Kante (Leicester City)

2015-16 Premier League season: 37 appearances, 1 goal, 4 assists; 5.2 tackles, 4.6 interceptions per 90 minutes

The adjectives have all been used up when describing the performances of indefatigable (there's another one) midfielder N'Golo Kante, the quadruple-lunged Frenchman who covered every blade of grass for manager Claudio Ranieri this season. Purchased from SM Caen for a mere £5.6 million, a deal that looks like the greatest piece of business in transfer history with the benefit of hindsight, Kante's herculean efforts in breaking up opposition attacks became one of the standout features of the season. His ability to cover ground turned him into an Internet sensation and, of course, played an enormous role in leading the Foxes to silverware.

No. 1 - Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City)

2015-16 Premier League season: 37 appearances, 17 goals, 11 assists; 3.9 successful dribbles, 2.0 key passes per 90 minutes

Even on a side featuring Vardy and Kante, nobody shone brighter than the PFA Player of the Year in 2015-16. Riyad Mahrez did it all. The ruthless Algerian put defenders on posters on the regular: spare a thought for Philipp Wollscheid, Cesar Azpilicueta, Nicolas Otamendi, Martin Demichelis, and basically everyone on Aston Villa, all of whom fell victim to Mahrez's magical footwork. He scored beautiful goals, and interspersed his own tallies by teeing up Vardy and his fellow attackers, all of whom benefitted from the attention the 25-year-old winger garnered from the opposition. He was, in short, the best player in the Premier League this season.