De Guzman backs prolific team-mate Michu to win Player of the Year award

Robin van Persie and Luis Suarez have been lauded by many critics for excellent seasons to date and are set to be front-runners for the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award, but how about stating a case for Michu, Swansea's Spanish "sensation"?

That viewpoint is shared by his team-mate Jonathan de Guzman, who supplied the assist for the 26-year-old to score his 16th goal of a remarkable campaign during the 2-0 Capital One Cup semi-final win at Chelsea on Wednesday night.

There is no denying that Van Persie, who heads the domestic scorers' list with 16 league goals this term, and Suarez, leading Liverpool's front line with distinction, will be favourites for the award, yet De Guzman reckons Michu is a worthy contender because of his goalscoring record of 16 goals in just 25 appearances since his £2.2m move from Rayo Vallecano in the summer.

"Of course, people talk about Van Persie and Suarez, but Michu should be in the reckoning for the top awards," the former Villarreal midfielder, who also arrived from La Liga in the summer said. "He's a great player and he's been doing well for us. He's been the sensation of the Premier League this season.

"The number of goals he has scored for us has been remarkable. Usually it takes time when you move from the Spanish league to the Premier League. But he has settled in really well."

Player of the year latest betting: 8-11 Robin van Persie, 6-1 Juan Mata, 10-1 Leighton Baines, Luis Suarez, 12-1 Gareth Bale, 16-1 Michu, 33-1 Sergio Aguero, Santi Cazorla, Marouane Fellaini, Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, Oscar, Wayne Rooney, David Silva, Carlos Tevez, Yaya Touré, Jan Vertonghen