Usually, I tend to veer away from clichés, but I’ll allow myself this one; this football season has been like no other, incorporating a series of twist and turns, and not only in England’s top flight.
While Leicester City continue to romp towards an inconceivable Premier League title, Hertha Berlin are eyeing Champions League football and Aston Villa are among a host of historic clubs set for the drop.
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It’s been the season of the underdog, as more and more unknown talents have announced themselves on the big stage and, ahead of this summer’s Euros in France, are aiming to cement a place in their respective national squads.
So then, let us take a look at ten individuals in particular who have shone this season, potentially against all the odds.
1) Jamie Vardy
Where better to start than with the rags-to-riches tale that has epitomised what this season has been all about. Jamie Vardy has spearheaded the Foxes’ title push, scoring 19 league goals and bagging 6 assists so far.
His blistering pace on the counter and contagious confidence has propelled Leicester into top spot and, although Ranieri’s unit as a whole deserves praise, it seems difficult to envisage the same outcome without the former-Fleetwood man’s influence.
Snapped up by Leicester for a mere £1 million fee back in 2012, the Sheffield-born forward has used his fine form to earn a catalogue of England call-ups, scoring his first goal for the Three Lions in a friendly with Germany late last month.
2) Dimitri Payet
Sandwiched between two fearsome Foxes sits the Frenchman that has catalysed West Ham’s stellar season. Payet signed from Marseille for £10.75 million last summer, is the Hammers’ top scorer this term with nine goals to his name in the league, while the playmaker has also made eight assists.
His mentality matches his creativity, as underpinned by Payet’s manager, Slaven Bilic, who claims "when he makes a mistake - and I am talking about training here - he is crazy and angry at himself and that is what makes him a leader."
A deadeye from set-pieces, Payet is a born winner and his unrivalled balance and agility render him the idyllic figure to sit behind the striker at Upton Park.
3) Riyad Mahrez
Now for my personal favourite and the man I tip to win Player of the Year come the close of this remarkable season. Magical Mahrez has made Leicester’s front-line tick from the flank and through the middle, having scored 16 goals and made 11 assists in the league.
No Premier League player has been involved in more goals than the electrifying Algerian, who possesses outrageous dribbling skills and continues to lay on a bucket-load of chances each week. The bargain buy from Le Havre has fuelled the form of Vardy and has been the driving force behind many a Foxes counter attack.
4) Kingsley Coman
When Bayern Munich brought in Coman on a two-year loan deal last summer, many eyebrows were raised and heads were scratched as the German football contingent pondered where the Frenchman would fit into the Bavarian jigsaw.
Since then, the 19-year-old has formed a dossier of showreels, boasting top ball control and a pass accuracy of 85%, as well as having created 31 chances in the Bundesliga.
Despite having scored only four goals, the midfielder-cum-forward has established himself as a first-team regular and his combination of speed and courage in the final third could tempt Bayern to pay the option-to-buy fee of €21 million when his loan expires.
5) Dele Alli
While the majority of Europe’s hottest young talents are of foreign origin, Dele Alli has captured the attention of a host of clubs as England’s next big thing. His rifled strike at Selhurst Park back in January laid down a marker and supplied the hype with substance.
Rarely does a prodigious young talent anchor down a Premier League midfield with such authority, but Alli has scored seven goals and made nine assists in his debut campaign for Spurs, despite plying his trade in League One only twelve months ago.
His leadership from the centre and range of passing has been crucial to Tottenham’s progress over the course of the campaign.
6) Keylor Navas
The plaudits have come thick and fast for the Costa Rican shot-stopper who has earned the reputation as the most improved Real Madrid player this season. It seemed that the 29-year-old inherited a host of traits from his predecessor, Iker Casillas, who was always absent of physical prowess but compensated with speed and agility like Navas himself does.
Fortune left a bitter feeling between Navas and Madrid, who had all but confirmed a swap deal with Manchester United’s David de Gea which fell through by virtue of documents not being submitted in time.
The keeper has since picked himself up and has seen his confidence soar, racking up 10 clean sheets in La Liga this season.
7) N’Golo Kanté
The third and final Leicester City player to make it onto the list, Kanté has championed the defensive duties for the Foxes this season, combining power and football intelligence to break down many an attack and provide chances for the team’s attacking components.
Heat map after heat map has been released outlining the French international’s relentless work ethic, his number of interceptions (130) is second only to Villa’s Idrissa Gueye and Kanté has made more tackles than any other Premier League player this season (135).
Vardy and Mahrez have been incredible but with Leicester winning a hefty percentage of their matches by a single goal, there’s a lot to be said for the defensive influence of N’Golo in midfield.
8) Sergi Roberto
Game time is certainly hard to come by when you’re playing football in a side that churns out midfield maestros, but Sergi Roberto has risen to the challenge this season to not only compete but earn a regular first-team place in the Blaugrana eleven.
In 26 appearances in La Liga, the 24-year-old has maintained an average passing accuracy of 88%, meanwhile making five assists. The club from Catalonia are well on course to complete another treble and Roberto could be integral to a club that has had its fair share of casualties in midfield this term.
9) Julian Weigl
Borussia Dortmund have always been pioneers when it comes to finding star talent at bargain prices and Julian Weigl is just the latest youthful addition to have impressed so far. Die Schwarzgelben sit five points behind Bayern Munich at present and are well-equipped to put forward a competitive title bid.
His pass accuracy lingers at a superb 92% and, despite not having scored so far this season, he’s been crucial to the defensive side of Dortmund’s game, having made 59 interceptions. Weigl has made 27 appearances this season in the league and is vital in catalysing counter attacks and using his unprecedented stamina to work over time in the hub of midfield.
10) Marcus Rashford
The youngster captured the attention of the football world on the continental stage, when he scored against FC Midtjylland. Since, he has bagged three league goals in five appearances in the league, capitalising on a mundane United strike force by combining confidence with passion.
Talks have recently emerged claiming the youngster could be set for a new £20,000-per-week contract renewal, outlining the potential Manchester United see in him. The forward has a low centre of gravity, supplying him with great balance in the final third and his clinical nature in front of goal is testament to his cold-blooded approach.
