The EPL ‘Unsung heroes’ XI

The sun goes down on the most romantic Premier League campaign in history this weekend, and in the spirit of underdogs, our resident EPL expert ADRIAN CLARKE (sports [at] mediacorp.com.sg) has picked out the 11 players he feels have not had the credit their performances deserved in 2015-16.

GOALKEEPER

Heurelho Gomes (Watford)

Hardly anyone outside of Watford’s front two gets a mention at Vicarage Road, but where would the Hornets have been without the heroics of their Brazilian goalkeeper? I know the answer, and it is the Championship.

Aside from one bad game against the champions, Gomes has been sensational all season long. Saving all kinds of shots, and a host of points, I made him man of the match on 10 separate occasions.

RIGHT-BACK

Danny Simpson (Leicester City)

If there is one Leicester hero we may struggle to remember in the years to come, it is their understated right-back. On the back of an immaculate campaign, that is unfair.

The 29-year-old had been a journeyman player, but his pace, snap in the tackle, smart positional sense and reading of the game greatly enhanced the Foxes’ back four this year. Once he claimed a starting berth in October, he never looked like giving up the shirt.

CENTRE-BACK

Ashley Williams (Swansea City)

At 31, the Welshman’s prospects of landing a big move looked slim, but once again he went about his business with effortless consistency.

Minus the bravery and leadership of Williams, I am not convinced the Swans would have survived their mid-season wobbles. When all around him threatened to fall apart, the defender stepped up with big performances. Away at Old Trafford and Emirates Stadium, he was also outstanding.

CENTRE-BACK

Gareth McAuley (West Bromwich Albion)

A lot of 36-year-olds would be dispensed with over the summer on the basis of old age, but Tony Pulis is too smart to let his most consistent defender leave for pastures new. Snapped up on a fresh one-year-deal, McAuley is a rock that Albion are right to build their survival bid around.

Aggressive in both boxes, the Northern Irishman is an old-fashioned centre-half who gives you seven out of 10 every week.

LEFT-BACK

Charlie Daniels (Bournemouth)

Marauding down the left wing with power and pace, Daniels has created five assists and 36 chances from a fullback role this season.

Delivering a constant stream of crosses, Bournemouth would have far less balance without the qualities he provides. The left-back’s rise to the top was a slow burner. He listed Chesterfield, Gillingham and Leyton Orient as his previous clubs, but now looks every inch a Premier League player.

RIGHT MIDFIELD

Erik Lamela (Tottenham Hotspur)

Spurs are not the same side without the Argentinian, who has been a player reborn this season.

Tireless in his work rate, aggressive in all he does, and gifted in a manner befitting of his side, Lamela embodies everything that has worked so wonderfully well for Mauricio Pochettino’s men.

He used to be a soft “Fancy Dan” winger, but not any more.

Lamela scores, he creates, and he works his socks off.

CENTRE MIDFIELD

Big Sam and Jermain Defoe will take most of the credit for another dramatic Sunderland escape, but by doing his job in a quiet, efficient way, January signing Jan Kirchhoff has been every inch as important.

Sitting in front of the back four, the German has added defensive expertise and quality on the ball to a side that was hurtling towards the trap door.

The ex-Bayern man has been the glue that has knitted together a much-improved side.

CENTRE MIDFIELD

Cheikhou Kouyate (West Ham United)

Mark Noble is regarded as West Ham’s unsung hero, but Kouyate also deserves more credit. The versatile Kouyate wins the ball efficiently, travels with it smoothly, and presents an aerial presence in both penalty areas.

He also has undervalued calmness on the ball. With the Senegal international on board, Slaven Bilic can afford to deploy the more attacking Manuel Lanzini in a central-midfield three — and that is one of the secrets to their success.

LEFT-MIDFIELD

Dusan Tadic (Southampton)

The Serbian is on fire right now, but hardly anyone seems to be talking about it.

Easy on the eye, Tadic beats opponents with a grace few others can match, and his end product is far better than people give him credit for, too.

The Saints star has bagged seven goals and 12 assists, from just 26 Premier League starts. He is a winger with obvious class.

CENTRE-FORWARD

Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City)

If City’s 19-year-old were English he would have dominated the back pages this season; instead, the whiz kid’s exploits have flown a little under the radar.

His speed and movement do not look out of place alongside Sergio Aguero, and boy does he know how to finish! From just 16 shots, Iheanacho has netted seven goals at a rate of one every 97 minutes. That is top quality. I believe Pep Guardiola can take him to the next level in 2016-17.

CENTRE FORWARD

Shane Long (Southampton)

The Irishman is not a fashionable footballer, but his movement is absolutely fantastic.

In the stripes of Southampton, Long provides a dimension that troubles opponents on a consistent basis.

Quicker than you think, boasting a better touch than anticipated, and as lethal as many bigger names inside the box, the 29-year-old has made mugs of defenders, without fuss, for pretty much their entire campaign.