5 most under-rated footballers of 2018

Ask any Manchester City fan who their best player is and they would say Sergio Aguero, Leroy Sane, or probably Raheem Sterling. Not many would say Fernandinho or Fabian Delph. Every club in the world wants a superstar -- a player who takes all the limelight and a player who sells shirts.

All the superstar players steal all the limelight and are adored and talked about both by the media and the pundits. In contrast, players like Fernandinho, who are regarded as indispensable by the manager, are very under-rated in the public eye and they never get their share of fame -- the fame that they deserve.

For instance, when Real Madrid sold Claude Makelele and bought David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, who was part of that legendary Real Madrid team, said: "Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine?". What I mean here is that for every Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala, there is always a Blaise Matuidi in the team.

Like in every team game, the XI players that play on a football field, are all important for the team to have a good performance. It doesn't matter who is scoring the goals or who is assisting them. The players who do the dirty work are also very important.

This year's Ballon D'or winner Luka Modric, who has always been playing in the shadows of the Ronaldos and the Bales, got his deserved adulation but still there were people who weren't happy with him winning it, which just tells you how under-rated he is.

The year gone by was no different as there were many under-rated footballers in 2018 and here is the list of the top 5 most under-rated players:

#5 Wilfred Ndidi

When Ngolo Kante switched Leicester for Chelsea in 2016, the Frenchman left a huge void in the Leicester midfield. Tasked with filling his boots was a young and inexperienced Wilfred Ndidi, who signed from Genk for 15.8 million in January 2017. A huge task for the 21-year-old, he managed to impress as he began a vital cog in Claude Puel's side, forcing Leicester to extend his contract in the summer of 2017 to keep him at the King Power for 6 more seasons.

The all-round midfielder's break up play has been essential for Leicester's game-plan, with his average tackles at a huge 4.3 per game. But we can't compare this outlet to Kante's at Chelsea, thanks to the Frenchman's positional change and Chelsea have around 10 percent more possession than Leicester. If we take Kante's outlet from his days at Leicester, it's clear that Ndidi is not far behind as Kante made 4.7 tackles per game. Kante's confidence on the ball saw him lose the ball just 1.9 times per match, while Ndidi's inexperience has cost him the possession 2.5 times a game.

He might have some learning to do to reach Kante's level, but still being only 23 years and replacing the best defensive midfielder in the Premier League is one hell of a job and he never really got the credit for it.

#4 Nacho Fernandez

One of the biggest clubs in the world and a powerhouse of Europe with a brilliant back-line, Real Madrid have had a tough job filling in the defense. With huge pressure to perform and high expectations from the start, Nacho Fernandez has been more than sufficient in the Spanish capital. Stepping up into the first team, Nacho is growing from season to season with Real, despite making only 3 appearances across his first two seasons.

Nacho has gone on to make double-digit appearances in every campaign since gaining greater responsibility with each team. Over the 2017/18 season, Nacho averaged 2 tackles a game, and the 28-year-old Spanish international also completed 1.7 interceptions, which is superior to Varane's 1.2 interceptions per game. Obviously, his stats don't make him better than Varane with Maldini once saying that if a defender has to make a tackle, then he has made a mistake. But with his average of 60 passes per game with a success rate of 95 percent, he has shown that can be relied upon.

His ability to fill in anywhere in the back-line makes him a brilliant squad player. He played some key games for Real Madrid last season like the Champions League final. The 28-year-old has proved his worth and deserves a mention for it.

#3 Mario Mandzukic

Mario Mandzukic has played for some of the best clubs in Europe with the likes of Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and now Juventus. Though he has never really been a glamorous striker, the Croatian has showed that he is versatile, hard-working and a big-game player.

Last season, the Croatian was a key figure for Juventus' Champions League run, despite only making it to the quarter-finals. Mandzukic performed when it mattered, scoring 2 goals against Real Madrid in the away leg of the quarter-final. Not just a scorer who puts in goals, Mandzukic is also an all-round player. Under Allegri, he has seen himself shift from striker to left wing. In his 27 league appearances, he was managing 1.1 tackles per game, 0.8 interceptions and 1.2 clearances per 90. As a natural striker, his efforts should be hugely commended.

Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival in Turin this season has seen Mario staying in the shadows. Ronaldo so far has scored 14 goals in the Seria A and Mandzukic has scored 8 in less appearances than the Portuguese legend. The Croatian international also went under the radar in the summer, when headlines surrounding Modric and Lovren shielded him from the limelight. The under-rated forward has shown that he is very reliable and should be appreciated for it.

#2 James Milner

The footballing world owes James Milner an apology. For years he has been ridiculed for his unglamorous work rate, responsibility and consistency. However 2018 saw the Englishman go criminally unnoticed for what was a spectacular personal season. Last term, James Milner was a key figure in the Liverpool team which reached the Champions League final, making 13 appearances and registering the competition's highest number of assists with 8.

Over the 2017/18 campaign, the work horse put up 2.5 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, 1.9 clearances and blocks as well as 2 key passes a game. The Englishman doesn't have the effortless grace on the ball that makes players like De Bruyne and David Silva spellbinding to watch, but the tireless team player received a total lack of recognition from fans and pundits.

Ahead of the new 2018/19 campaign, Liverpool conducted a lactic acid test to identify the first team's fitness levels. Milner came on top of the entire squad and his younger teammates showing how much of a hardworking professional he is and maybe how we should appreciate his professionalism.

#1 Fernandinho

Manchester City's defensive midfielder Fernandinho is the most under-rated player of 2018. 5 years ago, the Brazilian joined a managerless Manchester City from Shakhtar Donetsk for 30 million pounds. With 8 seasons under his belt in the Ukrainian League, the Etihad faithful would be forgiven for any doubt they had on his arrival. However, the deep-lying midfielder has been a pivot in Pep Guardiola's City side.

An absolutely vital member of the record-breaking City squad of the 2017/18 season, Fernandinho enabled the likes of David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne play their natural game. The 33-year-old defensive midfielder played a selfless, but fundamental role for the Sky Blues. In fact, his 2900 minutes for City were only behind the minutes played by De Bruyne and Otamendi. While in the Guardiola side, the attacking midfielders are allowed an off day, but the role in the middle of the park is relentless and one that Fernandinho has no understudy for in the City squad.

With a total of 2975 passes in the league last term, he completed the third most in the Premier League behind only Nicolas Otamendi and Arsenal's Granit Xhaka. His 12.3 deep progression passes per 90 lead was the best in the League last term. His role in protecting the back four is also unrivaled by his teammates, and he makes more tackles and interceptions than any of the team. Considering the responsibility of the role that Fernandinho plays in the City side, we can safely say that the Brazilian is badly under-rated.

Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee