Troy Deeney has named his Premier League team of the season and safe to say, there are a few surprise picks.
Granted, there are nine games to go in the campaign, but it never hurts to take a glance at who the standout performers have been up to this point.
Deeney opted for a 4-3-3 formation when it came to his team of the season, which also included his pick for the best manager.
So, what was the Watford great’s criteria when forming his team?
Firstly, Deeney wanted to reward ‘consistency’ throughout the whole season.
So that means players who started the campaign brightly but faded away or vice versa did not make the cut.
The other key criteria was a player’s injury record.
With that in mind, here is Deeney’s team of the season up to this point!
Goalkeeper: Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest)
Matz Sels has been one of the shining lights in Nottingham Forest’s season of dreams.
The Belgian sits clear among the goalkeepers union for the most clean sheets and punches in the league with 12 and 22 respectively.
Sels’ tally of 89 saves is the third-most in the league, pointing to a strong shot-stopping ability that has propelled Forest up the table.
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Should Sels end up with the Golden Glove, the award given to the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets, he would be the first gloveman to win the accolade from a team outside the perceived ‘Big Six.’
Deeney’s verdict: “He’s (Sels) been excellent. Everyone will normally go Ederson or Alisson. But both have been injured. While Alisson had a great game, that was in the Champions League, not the Premier League. The rest, he’s been relatively solid, I’d say.
Left back: Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth)
Bournemouth have been one of the league’s surprise packages and Kerkez has been a key part of that.
The 21-year-old has been a constant presence bombing up and down the left flank for the Cherries and has registered five assists, the third-most among Premier League defenders.
Kerkez has also played in every match for Bournemouth this season, highlighting his durability given the high-intensity brand of football the team plays under Andoni Iraola.
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Deeney’s verdict: “Undisputed, everyone agrees with this. It’s Kerkez. Excellent for Bournemouth. I think they know they’re not going to have him next season, that’s why they went and bought another left-back (Julio Soler) in January.”
Centre back: Murillo (Nottingham Forest) and Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
As part of the league’s second-meanest defence this term, it’s no shock to see Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk included.
A pillar of the Reds’ backline, Van Dijk brushes away danger like it’s nothing time and time again.
Murillo’s performances this term have added a few extra zeros to the end of his market value.
The Brazilian has made the second-most blocks (37) and the second-most last man tackles, demonstrating he can time his challenges to perfection but is also unafraid to throw himself into harm’s way to prevent a chance.
Deeney’s verdict: “Both of them have been excellent. Proper defenders, is what I’d call them. They do all the horrible stuff really well. Van Dijk looks a little bit more elegant than Murillo doing it, but still, both of them have been monumental this season.
Right back: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham United)
In his first season with the Hammers, Wan-Bissaka is nearing a return to the form that made him a £50million signing for Manchester United in June 2019.
The 27-year-old seems to read plays before they even happen, which explains why he boasts the second-most interceptions in the league (49) among defenders.
With Graham Potter now at the helm, plenty more is expected from Wan-Bissaka and a return to the England set-up is not of the question.
Deeney’s verdict: “It was a redemption season for him. Even under Lopetegui when they were poor, he played really well.”
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Central midfield: Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Much was made about Liverpool needing a defensive midfielder in the summer, but it turned out they had a perfectly capable option right under their noses in Ryan Gravenberch.
With a season under his belt, Gravenberch has shown plenty of quality under Slot and has become virtually undroppable.
He has made the fourth-most passes among midfielders and also leads the league in interceptions, proving his adeptness with and without the ball.
Deeney’s verdict: “Another player that last season was said not good enough. I remember Graeme Souness saying people don’t leave Bayern Munich if they’re any good. Obviously he’s showed that he’s very good.”
Bruno Fernandes has one of, if not the only bright spot for Manchester United in what has been an otherwise dismal season.
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The Red Devils skipper has the second-most assists (nine) among all midfielders and has played the most through balls (21) in the league, underlining his desire to make things happen for United’s forwards.
Having endured some managerial turbulence in the form of Erik ten Hag being sacked and the squad still battling to get to grips with Ruben Amorim’s tactical demands, Fernandes’ numbers are nothing to be sniffed at.
Deeney’s verdict: “People might think he’s lucky because of how bad his team’s been. But he has been excellent and the best player for Manchester United.”
Aston Villa signed Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough for an initial £8m in January 2024 and it’s not too outlandish to suggest his market value has increased tenfold since.
Rogers has seven goals and four assists for Villa this season but it is his ability to hold off defenders while dribbling at pace that has made the 22-year-old one of the breakout stars.
Deeney’ verdict: “Been excellent for Aston Villa all season and been excellent for England as well. A real talented player.”
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Right wing: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
The league leader in goals and assists with 27 and 17 respectively, need we say much more?
Deeney’s verdict: “There can only be one: Mohamed Salah.”
Left wing: Callum Hudson-Odoi (Nottingham Forest)
Perhaps the most polarising of Deeney’s picks, Callum Hudson-Odoi has been a key member of Forest’s attacking triumvirate on the left.
He may only have five goals to his name, but two of those came in 1-0 victories over Liverpool and Manchester City.
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Yet it’s Hudson-Odoi’s consistency that has been the most admirable of the winger’s qualities for Deeney this season.
Deeney’s verdict: “This one is going to be contentious. I think he’s been great over the time. Massively important goals and plays for a team that’s in the top three.”
Striker: Alexander Isak (Newcastle)
Alexander Isak is on course for his best Premier League scoring season yet, but pundits and fans know the Toon talent brings far more than just goals.
With blistering pace and remarkable dribbling ability along with lethal finishing, Isak has cemented himself as one of the best strikers in world football.
Deeney’s verdict: “In my opinion, the best number nine in world football currently. I’ve said this more or less all season and it’s taken a few people to catch up, but they’re starting to see it now.”
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Manager: Eddie Howe (Newcastle)
There’s a number of contenders for manager of the season and all with incredibly valid claims.
Arne Slot looks on course to win the Premier League in his first season at the helm of Liverpool, an incredible feat considering Jurgen Klopp managed it only once during his tenure.
Not even the most optimistic of Nottingham Forest fans could have dreamed of Nuno Esperito Santo having the club in third with nine games to go.
Andoni Iraola has Bournemouth five points off a potential Champions League spot thanks to a swashbuckling brand of football that has got several of Europe’s biggest clubs interest in their players.
However, Deeney believes Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is the most deserving of the award for how he has handled external pressure to have the Magpies sitting sixth.
Deeney’s verdict: “I think the pressure and expectation on Eddie, what he’s had to deal with with the England stuff circling around him, winning the first trophy, but also at times looking like he could get sacked at any moment. I think that’s more pressure than Nuno, who’s having one of those seasons where they’ve just blown everybody out of the water. There’s a lot of people who thought they (Forest) were going to get relegated.”
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