A star is born: Why Harry Kane should win PFA Player of the Year

Have you ever seen a hurricane swoop down unexpectedly, with blatant disregard for everything in its path, leaving mass carnage in its wake?

The Premier League, and everyone in it, caught a glimpse of one this season.

Harry Kane's meteoric rise from squad player to unstoppable scoring machine – and ultimately to international striker and Tottenham captain – dominated the narrative in England throughout the campaign.

He has been nothing short of a phenomenon.

Mauricio Pochettino knows just how lucky he is to have him.

"I think that Hazard is a very good player, he’s fantastic, a great player," Pochettino said of the PFA Player of the Year shortlist. "But the impact that Harry has had on English football is massive."

"Maybe the impact is bigger than Hazard and his performances. Everyone knew that Hazard is a brilliant player. But I think not too many people expected Harry Kane would show the performances that he has this season. This is the difference, I believe."

He isn't wrong.

The 21-year-old is not exactly the prototypical academy star who arrives on the big stage after years of being touted as a future star. Those players don't bounce around various loan spells at the likes of Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City.

Kane did. And now here he stands, a star, with 20 Premier League goals - one shy of the league lead.

His run of 11 goals in as many Premier League matches from December to February - which included his brace in the remarkable 5-3 win over Chelsea - was something right out of Hollywood. To say his support during that time was fervid would be a massive understatement. Harry Kane-mania hit the football world like a thunderbolt from the heavens.

He was, for all intents and purposes, a deity.

(Courtesy: @FootballFanCast)

"I’ve said that he needs help. I need help. We all need help," Pochettino said of his savior, er, striker earlier this year. "But it’s always the case that a striker needs the ball to arrive so that he can shoot and score. He needs the chance to be created, for people to run and to give him the ball."

Except that Kane has shown this year that he doesn’t, in fact, need very much help at all.

Christian Eriksen is a very good midfielder. Nacer Chadli has his moments, fleeting they may be.

And then, well, the squad is decidedly vapid. Erik Lamela can’t get off the bench. Andros Townsend is Arjen Robben, he’s just lacking everything that is good about Arjen Robben. Ryan Mason, Paulinho, Nabil Bentaeb. Meh.

(Don't even bother looking at the defense).

And then there’s Kane. Surrounded by this uninspiring crew of players whom Pochettino seems unable to bring together into a consistent, cohesive unit, the English striker has thrived.

The memes may be getting slightly excessive ...

... but the man himself has certainly earned every bit admiration he's garnered this season.