The eight nominees have been announced for the Premier League's Young Player of the Year award, and there's a strong English presence among the group.

Cole Palmer and Kobbie Mainoo have both made the shortlist after breakout seasons in which they have made their senior debuts for England. There's also a nod for the more experienced Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka, both of whom are still within the age threshold for the award.

Palmer and Foden are also nominated for the Player of the Season award, as are fellow young player nominees Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland. The list for Young Player of the Year is rounded out by Arsenal defender William Saliba and Tottenham new boy Destiny Udogie.

What have the eight nominees done to warrant their inclusion, though? Here, Mirror Football takes a closer look at their respective seasons.

Phil Foden

Manchester City star Foden has really stepped up this season in the absence of some more illustrious team-mates. He has already won the FWA player of the year award, and few would begrudge him doubling up when it comes to the Premier League award..

After backing himself to thrive in a central role, the England international has done just that. A 16-goal league haul is already his best ever in a single season, with three games remaining to add to the tally, while he has 24 in all competitions.

There's a discussion to be had when it comes to how England manager Gareth Southgate sees best to use the 23-year-old in the summer's European Championships. The high points this season can't be knocked, though, with match-winning hat-tricks against Brentford and Aston Villa either side of a double which helped Pep Guardiola's side see off neighbours Manchester United in March.

Erling Haaland

There isn't much we can say about Erling Haaland that hasn't already been said. However, the ability to hit 25 league goals in an injury-interrupted season puts last year's achievements into perspective while also demonstrating an off-season for the Norwegian is still better than most players' best.

The former Dortmund star has 'only' scored two league hat-tricks this term, in 5-1 victories over Fulham and Wolves, but there have been plenty of braces. And there have been plenty of occasions where his impact has made City's progress worryingly simple.

"I don't really care that much about that man, so that's all right," Haaland said after responding to Roy Keane criticism with four of his team's five against Wolves. "I don't care, we just have to win our games and now, relax tonight and focus on Fulham."

With three games to go, he can add to his goal tally and lead City to what would be a fourth straight title. He's already scored more than anyone managed in any of the four seasons before his arrival in England, and from just 29 appearances.

Alexander Isak

Isak is another who has impressed despite injury woes, after last season gave a hint to his capabilities. After scoring 10 league goals in 22 outings last season, he has doubled that tally in just five extra games this term.

The Sweden international is the oldest player on the shortlist at 24, right on the upper limit for the award. He also arrived at significant cost to Newcastle, but neither of these things are against the rules.

Isak started the season how he meant to go on, bagging two goals in an opening weekend demolition of Aston Villa. Further braces have followed, including a notable double in the 4-0 victory over Tottenham, while he scored twice from the spot in the dramatic 4-3 comeback win against West Ham.

Newcastle still have work to do to qualify for Europe, and won't be able to secure a second straight season of Champions League football. Without their leading man, though, things could be far worse.

Kobbie Mainoo

When Erik ten Hag lamented the absence of Kobbie Mainoo for the first half of the season, some felt he was overstating the potential impact of a talented but inexperienced player. Since the turn of the year, though, his value to the team has been clear.

Mainoo made his senior debut in January 2023, but had only played once in the Premier League before this season. He has done enough this term to earn a first England cap, though, while holding down a starting spot at club level.

A pair of stunning league goals have caught the eye, with the teenager following a last-gasp winner at Wolves with a curler in the draw at home to Liverpool. The latter drew comparisons with another famous United goal by another teenager - Federico Macheda's crucial effort in the 2008-09 run-in.

United, as a whole, have been a mess on a number of occasions this term. The form of Mainoo has been one of the factors to give fans hope for the future, though, and many are excited to see what he can do in a more coherent team.

Cole Palmer

When Manchester City recouped £42.5m for Cole Palmer at the end of the summer transfer window, it felt like a decent deal for everyone. City had a decent fee for a player with limited first-team experience, while Chelsea added a homegrown star to their ranks.

While the form of Phil Foden suggests the 22-year-old might still have struggled for regular minutes at his former club, the move south couldn't have gone better. Only Haaland has more Premier League goals than Palmer's 21, and you have to go all the way back to Didier Drogba in 2009-10 for the last time a Chelsea player scored more in the league.

Yes, penalties have boosted the tally (as with others on this list) but that's not all he's capable of. His performance of the season came in April against Everton, when he scored a perfect hat-trick inside the opening half-hour before adding his fourth of the game from the spot.

Bukayo Saka

Given how much Bukayo Saka has achieved in his career, it's easy to forget he's still just 22. It's also easy to forget he has 16 league goals - two more than last season with a couple of games remaining.

While team-mate Gabriel Martinelli has gone off the boil at times this season, Saka's ability to step up has been crucial to the Gunners. Eight of his 16 goals have either put Arsenal in front or drew them level, with Mikel Arteta's team losing just once when their number seven has found the net.

It's been a collective effort for Arsenal to remain in the hunt for top spot. They have the best attack and stingiest defence in the league, and a first title in 20 years would be tough to argue with if they get over the line.

Within the collective, though, there have been individuals who have stepped up. Saka's seven goals in six games helped Arsenal start 2024 like a train, giving them the platform on which to build in the latter stages of the season.

William Saliba

Like his team-mate Saka, Saliba is a player who can often feel older than his years. Not only is the centre-back just 23, but he's only in his second season as a Premier League starter.

In the last season before Saliba returned from loan, Arsenal conceded 48 goals. That dropped to 43 in his first season at the club, including 18 in 11 after injury ended his season early, while the tally this season is just 28 in 36 games.

The former Saint-Etienne star has been fantastic alongside Gabriel at the back. It's not just that opponents haven't scored many against Arsenal - it's rare to even see them get that many clear-cut chances.

With Manchester City so dominant over recent years, Arsenal have needed to be at their very best to even stand a chance. Saliba has made everyone else's job that bit easier with his calming presence as part of a terrifying defensive unit.

Destiny Udogie

Tottenham's season might have petered out in the spring, but we shouldn't forget how impressive Ange Postecoglou's side looked for chunks of the campaign. Their full-backs have proved important to how the team operates under the Australian, with Udogie one of two gifts left for the boss by predecessor Antonio Conte.

After spending last season on loan at former club Udinese, the Italian has looked perfect in Spurs' setup. His pace and attacking threat has suited a system where deep defending might as well be banned and defenders are required to have the engine to contribute at both ends.

Still just 21, Udogie earned his first senior Italy cap in the autumn and helped the Azzurri get over the line and secure Euro 2024 qualification. A hamstring injury has put his involvement at the Euros in doubt, but plenty will be excited to see what he can offer his club next season as part of what they'll hope to be an even more joined-up approach in Postegoglou's second season at the helm.