PFA player of the year award: Harry Kane, Eden Hazard and David de Gea among nominees

Eden Hazard, Harry Kane, Diego Costa, David de Gea, Alexis Sanchez and Philippe Coutinho have been nominated for the 2014-15 Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) player of the year award.

Hazard, De Gea, Kane and Coutinho are in line for double success having also been nominated for the PFA's young player of the year award, along with Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Liverpool's Raheem Sterling.

Hazard, 24, has produced another sublime season under manager Jose Mourinho, scoring 15 goals and assisting a further nine during Chelsea's Premier League title charge.

Kane, who started the season on the periphery of Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham squad, has been the Premier League's breakout star, becoming the focal point of the club's attack and exhibiting form that earned him his first England cap against Lithuania in March.

De Gea, meanwhile, has been Manchester United's saviour throughout manager Louis van Gaal's first term in charge, single-handily rescuing points for the club in their bid to claw their way back into the top four. Only two non-outfield players have lifted the prestigious award in the history of English football, with De Gea looking to replicate the successes of Pat Jennings (1974) and Peter Shilton (1978).

In his first season in the Premier League following his £32m ($48m) move from Barcelona, Arsenal forward Sanchez has struck 14 league goals and provided eight assists in a campaign where he has menaced defenders across the country.

Costa is another to thrive in his first season on these shores following his move from Atletico Madrid, enjoying a devastating first half of the season that still sees him as the Premier League's joint top scorer with 19 goals (alongside Kane and Sergio Aguero).

And during Liverpool's attempts to adjust to life after Luis Suarez, Coutinho has taken on the role of creator-in-chief, providing the moments of inspiration for manager Brendan Rodgers's side, earning himself a new long-term contract in the process.

Meanwhile, Eniola Aluko (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Manchester City), Karen Carney (Birmingham City), Jess Clarke (Notts County), Kelly Smith (Arsenal) and Ji So-Yun (Chelsea) have been nominated for the PFA women's player of the year award.