Each year, the Premier League produces players who perform brilliantly and get all the limelight one could ask for. But there are also players who do their job with utmost effort and put in their all, yet they get little appreciation.
These are the players who are unsung heroes for their clubs and they never fail to perform consistently without asking for much in return. Here we take a look at these selfless heroes and give them some appreciation for their hard work.
1) Nacho Monreal (Arsenal)
Nacho Monreal of Spain is rarely that noticeable when going forward and quite often overshadowed by his flashy counterpart Hector Bellerin on the right side. But he has made the left-back position his own by having a string of excellent performances to keep Kieran Gibbs out of the first team picture.
The man achieved an insane 2.1 tackles and 2.9 interceptions per match, besting Gibbs’ 0.8 tackles and 0.7 interceptions. Just for comparisons, he even bested his partner Hector Bellerin, who had 1.6 tackles and 1.9 interceptions. He even managed 3 assists despite being a defensive minded full-back. Truly impressive.
With him, Arsenal’s resilience to counter-attacks has improved leaps and bounds, because he is more alert defensively than Gibbs while also proving to be a reliable crosser of the ball.
2) John Obi Mikel (Chelsea)
John Obi Mikel endured a tough time at the start of the season when being coached by Jose Mourinho, as he was constantly overlooked by the Portuguese. He was sporadically used by the then Chelsea Manager, but this all changed with the coach’s demise.
Under the new interim Manager Guus Hiddink, he almost immediately became the most important player in the Chelsea Midfield. He outperformed Nemanja Matic and kept him out of the first-team picture by stringing in excellent performances.
Mikel averaged 49.7 passes per game, only bettered by Fabregas with 76.4 while Nemanja Matic managed 48.7 passes per game despite clocking more minutes in total. The Nigerian also has the best pass percentage in midfield, a feat not even matched by Cesc Fabregas.
The Nigerian was responsible for Chelsea steadying their sinking ship, and he also got out the best of Cesc Fabregas. His rise in form led to the overall rise in the team’s form.
His main assets are his relative composure on the ball and breaking up opposition attacks. He was also used by Hiddink as a makeshift centre back to great effect.
3) Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City)
Shinji Okazaki has become a favourite for Leicester City fans. He has not scored too many goals for Leicester but whenever he did score, they all had importance. The Japanese forward played a key role in the fairy-tale ending for Leicester.
The Japanese star is not the tallest of players but he more than makes up for it with his hard work both on and off the ball, which adds to his general game. He is modest, understated and content with himself.
Okazaki managed 1.3 shots per game, only bettered by Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, who had 3.2 and 2.3 shots respectively. For a non-defender, he also managed 1 tackle per game, only bettered by Mahrez and Andy King with 1.4 and 1.1 tackles respectively.
The ex-Mainz man does not demand much and he is quick to pick up instructions, which is a manager’s delight. Consistent performances over the season have made him the fan favourite that he is, and Leicester City fans have much to look for in the next season.
4) James Milner (Liverpool)
James Milner joined Liverpool for free at the start of the season. He was going to be such an important player for the Reds that he was almost immediately made vice-captain of the club. With him, Liverpool have looked like a complete team as compared to last season.
The Englishman is a complete midfielder who is known for his versatility, his ability, his commitment and his overall performance level. He has an understated approach to his game with no flashy tricks but he is always right there for his team.
The midfielder managed to get 2.5 tackles in per game, which was only bettered by Emre Can who had 2.6 tackles and equaled by Nathaniel Clyne with 2.5.
Milner chipped in with 11 assists, which was the highest in the Liverpool camp. The Englishman also had the highest key passes per game with 2.2 key passes. A magnificent return for a free signing.
The ex-Manchester City midfielder always rises to the occasion with a cool head and has become a key player in the team’s late resurgence. He is a quiet hero, not the one to hog all the limelight but the one to quietly give his best.
5) Daley Blind (Manchester United)
Daley Blind has been one of the most consistent performers for Manchester United. Excellent at tackling, good in tracking runs and a beautiful anticipator of threats.
The Manchester United man had 2.7 tackles per game, a feat only beaten by Matteo Darmian, who had 3 tackles per game. He also had an impressive 2.3 interceptions per game with only Chris Smalling and Morgan Schneiderlin managing more with 2.8 and 2.5 interceptions.
Blind also managed to have the second highest average passes per game with 57.6 passes.
The Dutchman has an excellent defensive record for United and he has been at the heart of it all. A very versatile player, he has been used in a variety of positions for United. He, along with Smalling have created an excellent centre-back pairing with both complimenting each other’s skill set.
The Manchester United man is a player who has very much justified his price tag, although he hardly gets credit for his consistent performances. He is just expected to turn up, do the job and then just go home. It’s that simple for him.
6) Virgil van Dijk (Southampton)
Virgil van Dijk arrived from Celtic to Southampton last summer and has put in numerous impressive performances for the club this season. He was present in the team that notched up seven successive clean sheets, propelling his side to be one of the best defensive teams in the Premier League.
The Dutchman is a strong and fast defender who likes to play from the back. He has good passing skills, forming a partnership with Jose Fonte and Ryan Bertrand. Virgil is a good header of the ball and he has scored three goals to help his club.
Van Dijk managed 2.8 interceptions per game which is a club high. He had an astonishing 7.7 clearances per game with Jose Fonte notching 6.1 clearances. He is also the highest scoring defender with 3 goals to his name.
He does not seek the headlines with his performances, rather, he lets his performances do the talking. His great performances this season have helped him secure a new contract with his club.
7) Jack Butland (Stoke City)
Jack Butland had a very tough task in replacing former No.1 goalkeeper, Asmir Begovic. But he has only made most Stoke City fans forget about him. It's only because of his performances that Stoke are in the top ten in the Premier League table.
Jack Butland managed to get 10 clean sheets in a season which he could not even finish. This shows how good a goalkeeper the young Englishman actually is.
He had concrete offers from Chelsea and other top clubs but he refused them because he wanted to play and not sit on the bench. This shows his commitment and will to improve. He was enjoying the form of his life when he got injured and now looks set to miss out on the Euro 2016 squad.
8) Yann M’Vila (Sunderland)
Yann M’Vila signed for Sunderland on loan from Rubin Kazan at the start of the season. Although Sunderland struggled for survival this season, only clinching safety with one game left to spare, M’Vila has had brilliant performances at the middle of the park.
Yann managed to get 2.7 tackles per game, which is more than any midfielder got in the whole team. The midfielder also got 2.3 interceptions per game, which is only bettered by Sebastian Coates with 2.6 interceptions, who is a defender.
He has 4 assists in the Premier League, with only Adam Johnson managing more with 5 assists. M’Vila also managed 1.2 key passes per game which was only bettered by Wahbi Khazri and Adam Johnson with 1.9 and 1.5 key passes per game respectively.
The Frenchman also averages the highest passes per game with 45.3 passes with a pass success percentage of 81.4%. That is absolutely marvelous for him as he is head and shoulders above his team.
He was instrumental in Sunderland winning the relegation battle and the club wants to sign him on a permanent deal.
9) Mousa Dembele (Tottenham)
The Mousa Dembele did not have the start to his Spurs career that he might have thought he would and it even looked like he would not survive under Mauricio Pochettino. But, the Belgian has adapted amazingly in order to become one of the most important players in the team.
The Belgian completes the midfield with his ball control although it looks as if he is not comfortable with the ball. He changes directions with such speed that it becomes quite a task to take the ball from him.
The combative midfielder has 3.6 tackles per game which is way above Danny Rose’s 2.8 tackles per game. He also has the highest dribbles per game with 2.9 dribbles in comparison to Harry Kane, who has only 1.3 dribbles per game. Dembele also has the highest pass success percentage with 90%.
Dembele sits deep but with the freedom to roam the pitch. He breaks the lines almost always by beating a player, which opens up space in the middle of the park, affording space to flair players to operate.
He has quietly become a hero for the Spurs team, although he does not get the same limelight that fellow players Kane and Alli get.
10) Mark Noble (West Ham)
Mark Noble has played for West Ham since 2004, and he is only 29-years old. This shows the importance he has in the West Ham midfield. He is the captain of the Hammers and has been an ever-present piece of the midfield.
Noble has 2.8 tackles per game, which is only bettered by former Barcelona and Arsenal man Alex Song, who has 3.4 tackles per game. Mark also has 2.2 interceptions per game, with Winston Reid managing more with 3.2 interceptions.
He managed 7 goals which is the 4th highest in the team while he has 4 assists to his name. Noble has 1.4 key passes per game, with only Dimitri Payet with more at 4 key passes per game. He has the highest average passes per game with 52 passes and he boasts a pass success rate of 86.4 % only bettered by Manuel Lanzini who has 88.9%.
West Ham have been spectacular this season, though most of the credit has gone to teammates like Dimitri Payet, Lanzini and Antonio for their work in the attacking department. His work has largely been overlooked and he has not been called up for his national team’s participation in the Euro 2016.
