Leicester City forward Riyad Mahrez is convinced his future lies in England and has ruled out a move to French champions Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
The 25-year-old Algerian, who joined Leicester from Ligue 2 club Le Havre in 2014, has been one of the Premier League's standout performers so far, with 17 goals and 11 assists in 34 league appearances this season.
Mahrez was named English football's player of the year by the Professional Footballers' Association on Sunday, the first Leicester player and first African to win the honour.
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“Even today I am not too excited about the prospect of PSG. It is my town, but I do not see myself going back,” Mahrez told British media.
“I don’t really want to go back to France. France does not really excite me, I love England.”
Leicester, who were outsiders to win the league at the start of the season, are now within touching distance of a fairy-tale first English league title, needing only one win from their last three games.
Mahrez felt the desire within the squad has propelled them to greater heights.
"We are fighters. And when I say to you 'fighters', I have never seen anything like this in my life. The guys are hungry like crazy and they let nothing go," Mahrez told French magazine Onze Mondial.
“You blast a shot straight into a guy’s face and he doesn’t even flinch.”
Claudio Ranieri's men will hope to wrap up the title when they travel to take on fifth-placed Manchester United, who have won their past six league games at Old Trafford, on Sunday.
Meanwhile Leicester youngster Demarai Gray dodged death after almost walking into the tail rotor blades of a helicopter before Sunday’s PFA Awards.
The 19-year-old winger was screamed at by officials at London’s Battersea Heliport before being escorted away from the area by a steward.
A fleet of helicopters ferried the Leicester squad to the awards soon after their thumping win over Swansea City took them a step closer to their first English league title.
Leicester quartet Jamie Vardy, Wes Morgan, N’Golo Kante and Mahrez made the PFA Team of the Year announced on Thursday, while Mahrez picked up the PFA Player of the Year gong on Sunday.
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