Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante was named as the PFA Players' Player of the Year in England on Sunday, having topped a poll of his fellow professionals.

The Frenchman, who won the English Premier League in his debut season while anchoring the Leicester City midfield 12 months ago, saw off the likes of team-mate Eden Hazard, Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexis Sanchez to take the trophy.

“It means the world to me,” Kante told chelseafc.com, with the Blues sat in pole position to clinch the league title with six games remaining. “To be chosen as player of the year is a great honour.”

The combative central midfielder, who has been helping France in their bid to reach the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia 2018™, was presented the award by an altogether different style of No7 – the number he wears for his club – in the shape of former England international David Beckham.

“What I like about him - actually what I love about him - he plays the game in such a humble way,” the ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid star said. “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.”

Kante was full of praise for new coach Antonio Conte when asked how he has slotted into the possession-oriented midfield at Stamford Bridge so seamlessly – having shone in Leicester’s counter-attacking unit last year.

“It’s a different style of playing, but with this manager and players everything is easy. It’s working very well this season,” he told the PFA.

“ knows what he wants from the players, he wants to win and we work very, very, very hard in training for him. I think he puts the winning mentality in the squad and everyone wants to give their very best for the team and make sure Chelsea wins the title.

“We haven’t won yet. We have to fight for six more games and we’re going to fight like it’s a final in every game and hopefully we can win the league at the end of the season.”

Tottenham Hotspurs’s Dele Alli won the Young Player of the Year title for the second year in succession, while Lucy Bronze Of Manchester City was named Women’s Player of the Year, with the young player award going to Birmingham City’s Jess Carter.