The leading light of Fulham’s surge towards promotion in the Championship, a 17-year-old English left-back who has scored an astonishing 13 goals in 34 league appearances already this season, a player surrounded by growing talk of a World Cup squad place - did Ryan Sessegnon see this coming? “Nah, not really to be honest.”

Sessegnon may not have predicted his astonishing ascent, but there is no doubting that he is officially The Next Big Thing. Spurs and Manchester United lead a queue of potential suitors for the player, with the former preparing a summer bid of £35million. Fulham want closer to £50million. And on Thursday night, he beat Davinson Sanchez, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Andreas Christensen and Harry Winks to the London Football Awards Young Player of the Year, as well as being named the EFL Player of the Year.

Does all this not distract someone so young? “I feel attention sometimes in games, from fans and other players," he says. "But I just try to play the way I always have, remain focused and don’t let distractions get in my way.”

It is clear that Sessegnon is bright and does not want to give too much away. But that is possibly no bad thing. The football graveyard is littered with the bones of unfulfilled potential but Sessegnon is focused and determined, looking to follow in the footsteps of his heroes. So who does Ryan Sessegnon, future star of England, idolise?