Whilst there have been a number of notable contributors to another fine season at Tottenham Hotspur, when judging who has been the best of the lot it is again difficult to look past talismanic striker Harry Kane.
Honourable mentions go to Jan Vertonghen, Christian Eriksen and Son Heung-min, but the England star has once more been the standout name on the Spurs roster.
With 41 goals across all competitions, Kane has catapulted himself into the bracket of Europe’s elite hitmen alongside the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
The 24-year-old hit 30 Premier League strikes for Tottenham in 2017-18, the first time he has passed that particular milestone, and only a stellar campaign from a certain Mohamed Salah at Liverpool denied him a third-straight Golden Boot award.
Kane’s August jinx continued this term and it was only in September’s 3-0 away win at Everton that he finally got off the mark with a brace.
By the end of the month his tally was up to 11, including a Champions League hat-trick away at APOEL Nicosia.
That was the first of three trebles this season for Kane, the other two coming in successive top-flight wins over Burnley and Southampton over the Christmas period.
As the season progressed, the Tottenham academy graduate continued to find the net at a steady pace, with notable strikes against Liverpool and North London rivals Arsenal in February serving to propel his team right into top-four contention.
Six goals in his last seven Premier League matches of the season ensured that Spurs would dine at Europe’s top table once again in 2018-19; they included the Lilywhites’ first and last in the thrilling 5-4 final-day triumph over Leicester City.
Simply put, Kane is now the finest out-and-out centre-forward in the Premier League and someone whom his club can turn to for game-defining moments.
In a campaign in which Tottenham played their home matches in the unfamiliar surroundings of Wembley, the priority was always stability and consolidation.
Kane’s eye for goal ensured that Mauricio Pochettino’s side will move into their new stadium still in the Champions League and with prospects for progression next time around.
Now, the World Cup awaits for a player whose nation’s hopes rest squarely on his shoulders.