5 players who silenced critics this season

#3 James Rodriguez (Bayern Munich)

James Rodriguez has found a new lease of life at Bayern Munich

Signed by Real Madrid in 2014 for a fee that could potentially have been £71m, James Rodriguez saw his career fizzle out at the Santiago Bernabeu as Zinedine Zidane struggled to get the best out of him in a midfield that already had Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Isco competing for places.

Left out of the squad for the Champions League final and with the number of minutes he was getting decreasing every season (2290 minutes in 2014/15 to 1180 minutes in 2016/17), Real made the decision to loan him to Bayern Munich. They didn't really need him and were winning games without his help.

Unwilling to cut their losses on the 26-year-old attacking midfielder just yet, they made it a two-year loan deal - in the hope that he would regain his touch in Germany.

And under Jupp Heynckes, Rodriguez has arguably been one of Bayern Munich's best players this season. The Colombian was deployed in a central midfield role where he now has 4 goals and 7 assists in the Bundesliga this season so far.

"I think Munich is a beautiful city, the club is great and I would like to stay here for many years. I feel great here at the moment and you can see that reflected out on the pitch." - James Rodriguez

With Thiago Alcantara sidelined with injury for weeks on end, Rodriguez stepped in and fit in seamlessly. His ability to wander into space to initiate attacks and set up the killer pass is what set him apart.

124 - @jamesdrodriguez (@FCBayernEN) was involved in a #Bundesliga goal every 124 minutes. Precious.

— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) January 12, 2018

Even Heynckes couldn't believe his luck, claiming: "In his current form and how he has integrated himself, James is a God-send for Bayern Munich." The veteran boss has even pushed Rodriguez, telling him how he can improve even further with gentle pushes in the right direction.