Chelsea winger Eden Hazard has won the 2014-15 PFA Player of the Year award.
Hazard, 24, was the favourite to take home the prize after scoring 13 goals and adding eight assists for the champions-elect this season. The Belgian star has been a revelation at Stamford Bridge since arriving for a fee of £32 million in 2012 and finished top of the six-man shortlist which is voted for by players in the Premier League.
Tottenham striker Harry Kane, who is the joint-top scorer in the Premier League this season with 20 goals and 30 in all competitions, missed out on the main prize, finishing second. But the 21-year-old did beat Hazard to be named Young Player of the Year.
Hazard also finished ahead of third-place Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea, the only defensive player on the list, as well as Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho and Premier League newcomers Alexis Sanchez, of Arsenal, and Chelsea striker Diego Costa.
Hazard said of his award success: "I'm very happy. One day I want to be the best and what I did this season is play very well, Chelsea played very well.
"I don't know if I deserve to win but it is good for me.
"It is good, it is better to be voted by the players -- they know everything about football. This is good. I'm very happy."
He took the Young Player of the Year prize 12 months ago, and has rapidly progressed to the top award.
"We are almost champions, maybe this is the key," said Hazard. "Last season we finished third and this season we have an opportunity to win the league. This has changed from last season.
"I continue like I did last season -- I try to be the same. I try to score more goals than last season. Personally I have played a good season, I have been there in the big games and I scored a lot of important goals, this is why I'm better this season."
Hazard's goal last weekend earned Jose Mourinho's men a 1-0 win over Manchester United. He picked out that moment as one of his best of the campaign.
The PFA Players' POTY is...@ChelseaFC's @hazardeden10! Congratulations! #PFAawards pic.twitter.com/81ttx3TmRO
- PFA (@PFA) April 26, 2015
Asked to describe his season in a single word, Hazard struggled.
"I don't want to say 'amazing' because it is not finished yet -- maybe amazing!" he said.
"I started the season not to be the PFA Player of the Year but it was in my head -- I want to be the best and I hope one day I can win a lot of trophies.
"I just want to say thank you to the players who voted for me -- it is always good to have an individual trophy but the most important thing is to win the league.
"I hope I can win a lot of trophies again -- the most important is to win the league, without my teammates I would not be here.
"Jose lets me play, we talk sometimes together and when I'm on the pitch I know what I have to do, this is most important.
"We are almost there to win the league.
"Last season we finished third, now we can bring the trophy to Stamford Bridge, personally I have played a very good season, have scored a lot of important goals and this is why I'm here."
Mourinho has long sung the praises of the 24-year-old, believing he is rivalled by only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the global order.
"I had lots of stars, but he is the humble star," the Portuguese said last weekend. "He knows that he is one of the three best players in the world, the responsibility that comes [with that] and he is coping with that responsibility.
"He understands that his talent is fundamental for the team."
Hazard was earlier on Sunday named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year -- for the third time in his three seasons in England.
He was one of six Blues players in the XI, along with captain John Terry, Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanovic, Nemanja Matic and Diego Costa.
Ivanovic, though, was in no doubt as to the team's most influential cog.
The Serbia defender, speaking about Hazard last week, said: "He has been our most important player since day one.
"He is the guy who you just have to give the ball and he will do everything. Sometimes he looks so impressive, like he is not from this world."
Hazard arrived at Stamford Bridge in June 2012 -- having been crowned Ligue 1 Player of the Year in each of his final two campaigns with Lille -- for a fee reportedly around £32 million.