NATHAN Redmond is the current frontrunner in the Daily Echo’s Player of the Year competition.
Redmond raced into the lead, securing 40 per cent of the vote, only for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to start clawing him back.
And with the competition coming to an end on Thursday, 9 May, there is still time to pick your winner.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see Redmond storm ahead, with his stats from this season telling an impressive story.
The winger has featured for Saints in every Premier League match thus far, only failing to start in two of them.
This remarks a spectacular turnaround for the man who has admitted to losing his confidence last season.
He would regularly find himself being booed by Saints fans which led to him spending a lot of last summer reflecting on what had gone wrong.
Redmond credits Mark Hughes and his backroom staff for helping him turn the jeers into cheers.
Although all of his eight goals have come under Ralph Hasenhuttl’s management, the 25-year-old has stood out since the beginning of the season.
Despite this, Hasenhuttl was still shocked that a player of Redmond’s ability had failed to create or score a single goal.
This led to the Austrian having an open and honest discussion with the former Norwich player where he demanded more.
And, to Redmond’s credit, he responded.
His eight goals see him as the club’s joint top scorer, with his four assists going unmatched by his teammates.
However, after a slow start, Hojbjerg has closed the gap between the two to just eight per cent.
The Danish international has come of age this season, earning the status as a fan favourite, after a string of battling performances.
Hasenhuttl immediately recognised Hojbjerg’s leadership credentials and quickly gave him the captaincy.
Minus the two red cards, he has stood up when Saints needed him most.
His goal against Brighton in March went a long way to ensuring his side remained in the Premier League for another season.
Unsurprisingly, James Ward-Prowse is the next closest player who can eat into Redmond's lead.
The academy lad has picked up 23 per cent of the vote, which has left him with a mountain to climb if he is to catch the winger.
Defender Jan Bednarek has received eight per cent of fans' support, with Danny Ings propping the table up with one per cent.
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