SportsKeeda Poll : Breakout player of the year
In football there is no greater sense of satisfaction as a fan than to see a young footballer leave a mark of his own, to break away from the shadows of established stars and to put on a show for the footballing audience. This year too several players broke the shackles and made a name for themselves, some worked as impact substitutes, some flattered to deceive while some others absolutely set the world on fire and announced their arrival to the big time.
This poll has been put in place to let the readers of Sportskeeda determine who they think was the real breakout star(and NOT the young player of the year) in football for the year 2011. The Sportskeeda team has shortlisted a list of 30 footballers who made their big break through this year and you can choose upto 3 choices that you think fit the ball as the breakthrough player of the year(you may read a brief of each player below the poll).
Mario Gotze (Borussia Dortmund)
The German football’s new darling came through the youth setup of Borussia Dortmund but the last one year has seen him become one of the world football’s hottest properties and has been linked to all major clubs in Europe. Blessed with quick feet and incredible ability with the ball at his feet, the young German in his first full season led Dortmund to their first Bundesliga crown in nine years and became the first player to play for Die Mannschaft who was born in the reunified Germany.
Marco Reus (Borussia Monchengladbach)
Another player that came through Dortmund’s fabled youth setup but unlike Gotze couldn’t make a mark there. However, 2011 was a dream year for the 22 year old German establishing himself as one of the best wingers in the Bundesliga smashing home a little under 20 goals in the calender year for Gladbach and making his debut for Joaquim Loew’s Germany. And his good form hasn’t gone unnoticed, he has been touted as the favourite in recent months to replace injury prone Arjen Robben at FC Bayern Munich.
Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover)
The former Man Utd trainee did not have a good time in Manchester and with his career in the middle of nowhere, he signed for modest German club Hannover as their second choice goalkeeper. However an injury to their first choice meant that the young Zieler was thrust into action and he hasn’t looked back since establishing himself as one of the most consistent keeper in Germany and has already been capped by the German national team and is the favourite to travel to Euro ’12 with the Germans alongside Neuer and Wiese.
Kyriakos Papadopoulos (Schalke 04)
His name might well be a tongue twister for most but it is well worth it for the guile and character that he shows on the football field. The Greek youngster was signed in a low key transfer from Olympiacos in 2010 but the youngster has taken over the mantle of being a midfield marshal in Germany and produced brilliant displays against Man Utd in last year’s Champions League semifinal.
Kevin Strootman (PSV Eindhoven)
Signed in the summer by PSV, Kevin Strootman has established himself as a playmaker-par-excellence for the Eindhoven club. The 21 year old blessed with incredible vision and passing range, has led PSV’s surge in the Eredivisie and at the international level has displaced both Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong and established himself as a vital cog in the ‘Oranje’ machinery and Dutch football’s biggest upcoming talent.
Zakaria Labyad (PSV Eindhoven)
The 18 year old was one of the youngest to ever play for PSV and has followed in the foot steps of his idol Ibrahim Afellay by breaking into the PSV lineup. Labyad has made the right wing spot his own and has been embroiled in a tug of war between the Netherlands and Morocco for his services at the full international level. With just six months left on his contract, he may be on the move in the not so distant future.
Christian Eriksen (Ajax Amsterdam)
The Danish hotshot arrived in Amsterdam in 2008 and rose through the ranks before establishing himself as a permanent fixture of the Ajax lineup last season. The Dane has since been cream of the crop of Dutch football and won the ‘young player of the year’ in the Netherlands in 2011. Anointed with some serious talent with the ball at his feet, Eriksen has been chased by many European giants including Man Utd for his servies.
Luuk de Jong (FC Twente Enschede)
The younger of the de Jong brothers, Luuk has treaded a different footballing path from his brother Siem. Luuk de Jong has been at the heart of the Twente attack and has banged in the goals in Enschede with over 20 goals in all competitions in 2011 and establishing himself as a part of Bert van Marwijk’s Dutch national team. With not long left on his contract, he could be on the move and as of now Liverpool seem favourites.
Danny Welbeck (Manchester United)
Playing at a big club has it’s hazards and the young Welbeck had to do it the hard way to establish himself at the English champions. He performed admirably for Sunderland despite playing majority of the season out of his natural position and then returned to United in time for the 2011/12 season and has since ousted last season’s sensation Javier Hernandez and Bulgarian enigma Dimitar Berbatov from the starting lineup. At the international level, he debuted for the three lions and with some brief but promising performances might have given Fabio Capello an alternative to Wayne Rooney for Euro 2012‘s early stages.
Daniel Sturrdige (Chelsea)
Daniel Sturridge, much like Welbeck, had to go out on loan with Bolton Wanderers before he could prove his worth to Chelsea’s coaching staff. Since his return to Stamford Bridge, the young attacker has been on a goal scoring spree of sorts, having scored 9 goals in 15 appearances for the Blues and has mazed most defenders in the league. In addition he made his full international debut for England in November 2011.
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
The English international was signed while he was just nineteen years of age and it took a successful loan spell at Aston Villa from January 2011 onwards to convince the Spurs hierarchy to give him more game time. Walker, now first choice at Spurs, has taken to the rigors of the Premier League like a duck to water and has progressed into one of the league’s best right backs. He also gave a ‘man of the match’ display in his debut game for England in a 1-0 win over World and European Champions Spain
Seamus Coleman (Everton)
In an era of big money signings, Coleman was signed for a paltry £150,000 pounds but has been effective all the same as a major signing would be. The versatile Irishman has made the right side of Everton his own and has come up with vital goals and assists when they were needed. He also made his debut for the Irish national team in February against Wales as he produced a dominant display that resulted in a 3-0 win for the Irish.
Wojciech Szczesny (Arsenal)
Arsene Wenger and Arsenal had for long had been riddled with unpardonable goalkeeping gaffe’s in the season’s gone, that until an ‘inexperienced’ Pole from their academy Wojciech Szczesny was installed between the sticks by Wenger. Szczesny has since pulled off some quick reflex saves and admirably organized his defense. He might still be prone to an odd error but he has surely cured Arsene Wenger’s achilles’ heel.
Xherdan Shaqiri (FC Basel)
The Manchester United fans would never quite forget the sight of this swift winger as he tormented the former European Champions and played a key role to dump them out of this season’s Champions League. Regardless, Shaqiri’s exploits for both club and country had alrady placed him into the limelight including an amazing hattrick for the Swiss against Bulgaria as the Swiss romped home 3-1. The potential suitors for Shaqiri can be found in all corners of Europe, most recently Atletico Madrid were linked to him to help improve the Madrid club’s fortunes.
Granit Xhaka (FC Basel)
The other crown jewel of FC Basel, Granit Xhaka much like Shaqiri is of Albanian heritage and rose to prominence in the last one year, something that has seen the nineteen year old establish himself as the controller-in-chief of the Basel midfield. The same period has also seen Xhaka break into the Swiss setup and his performances in the Champions League have added to his already rising value and with his buyout clause reportedly being of just £4.5mn, it would be hard for FC Basel to keep hold of him much longer and English champions Man Utd have already been linked with him for a winter transfer.
Jordan Ayew (Marseille)
The son of Ghanian legend Abedi Pele, nephew of former Ghanian international Kwame Ayew and the brother of fellow wonderkid Andre Ayew, football runs in the veins of the young Jordan and he has always had high expectations and big shoes to fill. With the competition fierce for attacking places in the Marseille ranks, Jordan Ayew has produced a string of good performances that have completely shunted out French striker Andre Gignac and has forced Didier Deschamps to bench talisman Mathieu Valbuena in favour of this young Ghanian who is all at ease to burst past his markers with his pace and trickery.
Marvin Martin (Sochaux)
Nicknamed the ‘little Xavi’ by his team mates, Martin enjoyed a rampant breakout season in 2010/11 in the Ligue 1 with Sochaux notching an incredible 17 assists in 37 games and was nominated for France’s best young player. He scored a brace on his debut for the French national team and has since cemented his position in the French squad and only recently signed a long term contract to pledge his commitment to Sochaux.
Raphael Varane ( Real Madrid)
The French youngster had been thrust into action as a seventeen year old by French relegation strugglers RC Lens and the young Raphael did not disappoint. Despite playing for a team that leaked goals, Raphael Varane grew into his own through the course of the season and firmly placing himself on the mantle of being France’s next big defensive hope. No sooner had been doing well in Ligue 1, admiring glances from Europe’s elite started to fall onto Varane and after being linked with Inter, Man Utd among others, he signed a deal with Madrid giants Real Madrid.
Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad)
The Frenchman who has grown through the various levels of the Real Sociedad academy, came to the fore for the Basque outfit in his maiden campaign in the Spanish top Division. Griezmann known for his quick acceleration, trickery and composure with the ball at his feet, starred for Sociedad scoring 7 goals from midfield for the Spanish outfit whilst also scoring a wonder goal against champions Barcelona in September 2011.
Jordi Alba (Valencia)
A former Barcelona trainee and a Catalan native, Jordi Alba has made massive strides towards realizing his long seen potential and had been used by manager Unai Emery exclusively on Valencia’s left side either as a defender or a winger in alternation with Jeremy Mathieu early on but has since turned into a key defensive man for Valencian side. Alba also broke through into the Spanish national team and is seen by most as the long term leftback for the La Furia Roja and barring any untoward incidents, Alba should start as the left back for the Spaniards at Euro ’12. And hey, could a move to boyhood club Barcelona be far away as they search for Eric Abidal’s successor?
Josip Ilicic (Palermo)
Fair to say, Ilicic enjoyed a fruitful and an often delightful debut campaign in the Serie A in 2011 and was a key proponent to Palermo’s forward play along with Javier Palermo. The Slovenian international one touch play and slick passing has led to a rise of his stock not just in Italy but also in Europe, several bigger clubs including rivals Inter and Juventus have been linked with him over the previous window and this incumbent one.
Armin Bacinovic (Palermo)
The defensive midfielder from Slovenia might not hog the limelight at Palermo like former teammate Javier Pastore or compatriot Josip Ilicic do, but the lanky Slovenian certainly does pack a punch in midfield for the Sicilians, having produced many consistent displays from midfield for Palermo in the league and despite a string of managerial changes at the club, Bacinovic still finds himself central to all things Palermo.
Lucas Moura (Sao Paulo)
Well, young Lucas might not be as controversial, nor as interested in hogging the media space as his compatriot Neymar but he certainly knows what to do with a football just as well and the Sao Paolo hot shot has certainly made has made a name for himself by producing some brilliant performances in the Brazilian league. A magician with the ball at his feet and the will to succeed makes him one of the hottest properties in world football and unsurprisingly has been linked to Milan, Real Madrid and Inter, and once you’ve seen him play, you’d believe why.
Eduardo Vargas (Universidad de Chile/ Napoli)
The Chilean international recently came runner up to Neymar for the ‘ South American player of the year’ award and has had an outstanding season at club level that has seen the tricky forward win the ‘Top Goalscorer’ and ‘Best player’ award of both the Chilean League and Copa Sudamericana in 2011. The trickster has already completed a move to Italian side Napoli for over €13 million and would be set to feature for them by the time the Serie A reconvenes after the winter break.
Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica)
The former Boca Juniors prodigy made the big move to Europe with Portugese giants Benfica and the winger has indeed had an incredible time over the last eighteen months as he gone on and but in some startling displays inlcuding those against Man Utd in the Champions League. Unsurprisingly, Man Utd seem to have set their eyes on Gaitan and it is only a matter of time before he leaves Portugal for pastures new.
James Rodriguez (FC Porto)
The Colombian youngster arrived in Porto through a third party arrangement for his transfer rights but some memorable performances in his debut campaign, albeit some as an impact sub, led Porto to winning both the Portugese League and the UEFA Europa League. And his rise has also seen Porto completely buy out his transfer rights to try and hold onto to him for a little while longer.
Brek Shea (FC Dallas)
The American sensation has taken the United States’ Major League Soccer by storm by establishing himself as one of the best wingers in the league. The 21 year old is fairly tall and strong for a winger and uses strength as a valuable asset to beat his defenders and led his club to the final of the MLS Cup before they were beaten. He has attracted glances from Europe, most notably from Arsenal to join their ranks.
Ji Dong-Won (Sunderland)
Ji Dong Won enjoyed a healthy run with the Chunnam Dragons in South Korea progressing to become one of the most promising forwards in the league and then having a momentous Asia Cup 2011 announcing his arrival into the big time. The interest from Europe came soon enough and PSV Eindhoven and Sunderland going head on for him before Steve Bruce managed to lure him to the north-east of England.
Hiroki Sakai (Kashiwa Reysol)
Until 2010, Sakai was playing J2 league football with Kashiwa but ever since the club’s promotion, he has played an instrumental part in the club’s success as a right back portraying good speed and stamina, eventually leading Kashiwa to their maiden J-League title in 2011 and winning the J-League’s rookie of the year award.
Andriy Yarmolenko (Dynamo Kiev)
The left footed Ukranian is equally adept at playing as a striker or a left winger and the 22 year old has firmly established himself into one of Dynamo’s key players in the last one year. He has pace, he can finish and he can create goals just as well. Yarmolenko has been in rampaging form in the league lately with nearly a goal per game and a move to mainstream Europe is a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ for him.