Keane deserves recognition - Dyche

Keane has been shortlisted for the honour along with Spurs and England pair Dele Alli and Harry Kane, Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, Manchester City winger Leroy Sane and Sunderland keeper Jordan Pickford.

The 24-year-old has been an ever-present for Burnley this season and made his full England debut last month in Germany.

And Dyche said: "I think he's pleased. He's a pretty steady lad, he's very respectful of the team around him and the staff and how they've tried to help him.

"It's a great sign for him and he deserves to be in that company, I think.

"He's having a very strong season, I just think he's developed well over the last two-and-a-half-seasons.

“I'm pleased because part of my sales pitch to get him here was that he'd be in a group that would develop and he'd be a big part of that. So I'm pleased from our point of view that it rang true for him.

“But he deserves a lot of credit, the team is the most important thing but you still need individuals to perform and he's done that."

The award is voted for by his fellow professionals, and to be recognised by your peers is extra special: "We're not shining lights of the Premier League or a superpower, so for other players to see that and say 'hang on a minute, he's been terrific in a smaller side at a smaller club is good, it's good of his peers to recognise that.

“He's in some very good company, some players who are having absolutely fine seasons."