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          Remy Cabella voted ESPN FC Player of the Month for January

          • ESPN staffFeb 4, 2015, 06:40 PM

          Europe's top performers for January were whittled down to a three-man shortlist in consultation with WhoScored.com and ESPN FC's writers.

          Lionel Messi, Diego Costa and Remy Cabella were those in contention, and thanks to some help from a strong voter turnout in Newcastle, Remy Cabella has been named ESPN FC Player of the Month for January.

          After Cabella's nomination for the award was picked up by the Newcastle Chronicle, votes for the former Montpellier man skyrocketed to claim an astonishing 59.5 percent of the ballot.

          Messi claimed second place with 32.8 percent of the vote, while Costa, no doubt images of him stamping on Emre Can and Martin Skrtel fresh in mind, could only muster 7.7 percent of the poll.

          Whether you agree with Cabella's triumph or think someone else should have gotten the nod, let us know on Facebook and Twitter -- using the hashtag #espnfcplayer -- as well as in the comments section below.

          NOTE: Only players with three or more appearances were considered.

          REMY CABELLA (Newcastle United)

          Since being restored to Newcastle's starting XI under new manager John Carver, Cabella has picked up a pair of man of the match awards and powered his side to two wins in their last three matches. Perhaps more worrying for Premier League opponents is that the Frenchman is continuing to improve under Carver.

          In January, Cabella's decisive passing has increased by nearly 70 percent versus the previous four and a half months, while his take-ons have trebled compared to his peak form at Montpellier last season. Newcastle's playmaker may not possess the gaudy numbers of Messi, but he's been the catalyst for his club's upturn in form under Carver.