Top 5 underrated players in the EPL
There are a number of quality players in the Premier League who fail to get the recognition they truly deserve. These players perform week-in week-out but too often get overlooked because they are not considered to be a part of the English top flight’s elite group of ‘big stars’. Here I name my top five most underrated first division players.
5. Tom Huddlestone – Hull City
Tom Huddlestone has always been a hugely underrated player and he has continually slipped under the radar throughout the entirety of his career.
The 27-year-old midfielder may not be the usual ‘glitz and glam’ type of player who typically earns the plaudits, but he is finally beginning to receive the attention he deserves following a long-awaited haircut and a series of impressive performances throughout the first half of the season.
Hull’s early success in the top flight has in large part been down to the control they have had in midfield, particularly at home, and Huddlestone has been a major factor behind this. He has formed a fantastic partnership with Jake Livermore in the centre of the park and the two have become a vital duo in Steve Bruce’s version of the 3-5-2 system.
This season, he has earned a Performance Score of 498 points – higher than any other Hull player – whilst accumulating 10 Squawka Best awards. He has also created 34 chances, completed 50% of his tackles and registered a pass accuracy of 80%.
His recent displays have even called some to suggest his suitability for an England call-up and with the World Cup just under six months away, who is to say Roy Hodgson will rule him out of contention.