Henry picks Sadio Mane as his Premier League Player of the Year

Thierry Henry has named Liverpool forward Sadio Mane as his Premier League Player of the Year.

The 25-year-old has been one of the stars of Liverpool’s season following his £36 million transfer from Southampton last summer, with 13 goals and five assists in 27 Premier League appearances.

N’Golo Kante is odds-on favourite to win this season’s award, while Eden Hazard is the Chelsea midfielder’s closest contender, according to the bookmakers.

But Henry believes Mane, who will miss the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery, should beat the Chelsea duo.

‘I’ll have to give [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic a lot of credit, but Sadio Mane has been the player of the season for me,’ Henry told Sky Sports.

‘Mane is a hell of a player.

‘He brings something different to Liverpool – but not only to Liverpool, to the Premier League. He’s been a star this year.’