Five from West Ham and three from Sunderland: my alternative team of the season
You could make a case for including every Leicester player in a Premier League team of the year but away from them – and other stars who have also already been recognised – other less celebrated figures have made significant contributions too. Here is my unsung XI.
Goalkeeper: Adrian, West Ham
Fraser Forster had a great impact at Southampton, but Adrian, looked more of a haircut than a keeper when he arrived in 2013, has been an overlooked factor in West Ham’s success.
Read more: Why the PFA Young Player of the Year award needs a rethink
Right-back: Nathaniel Clyne, Liverpool
After a slow start, Clyne has flourished at Liverpool and now plays with the confidence he showed at Southampton. Has made huge steps forward and in with every chance of starting for England at Euro 2016.
Centre-back: Winston Reid, West Ham
Mr Consistency, the New Zealander continues to be very solid and has gone from strength to strength under Slaven Bilic. He is a strong leader in a good West Ham team and is effective in both penalty boxes.
Centre-back: Virgil van Dijk, Southampton
Playing under fellow Dutchman Ronald Koeman seems to suit Van Dijk, who has adapted really well to Southampton and the Premier League following a summer move from Celtic. I think he’ll go to another level next year.
Left-back: Patrick van Aanholt, Sunderland
You expect a former Chelsea player to have class but not necessarily fight. Van Aanholt has shown this season that he has both. I like him and think he’ll have learned a lot from a season of battling.
Centre-midfield: Mark Noble, West Ham
Noble has always been a leader at West Ham but hasn’t always been focused on the right things; this year he has improved with the quality of player around him and has had the season of his life.
Centre-midfield: Jan Kirchoff, Sunderland
Looked rubbish in defence on his debut against Spurs but a revelation as a midfield shield. Took to the role, and English football, very quickly. Sunderland wouldn’t have stayed up without him.
Right wing: Michail Antonio, West Ham
Suffered a slow start to his West Ham career but, once given a chance, has gone along way to justifying his signing last summer. Has brought balance and plenty of goals to the Hammers.
Left wing: Andre Ayew, Swansea
Some of the biggest clubs may have turned their noses up at him, but Ayew has proved a few wrong in his debut season in Wales. Scored on the first day and the last, and has been involved whenever Swansea have played well.
Forward: Jermain Defoe, Sunderland
Once a goalscorer, always a goalscorer. Despite being written off a few years ago, clinical Defoe has turned battling Sunderland performances into precious wins that have kept them in the top flight at 33.
Forward: Andy Carroll, West Ham
Probably in the best form since his Newcastle pomp and looks comfortable again after his latest injury absence. Scares defenders like Duncan Ferguson used to; a full season should get him back in the England side.
Manager: Quique Sanchez Flores, Watford
May be unappreciated by Watford, who sacked him despite comfortably keeping them up and taking them to Wembley in his first year in England and on a modest budget, but will easily find another job now.