Top 5 underrated players from the 2015/16 Premier League season
Ask any Manchester United fan who their idol is in the Premier League era, and the answers that get thrown around are David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, etc. Not many mention Wes Brown or Dennis Irwin.
The former group of players were adored by the fans and media alike and stole all the limelight, whereas the latter, though regarded as indispensable by the manager were highly underrated in the public eye and never got the adulation and share of the fame compared to the former group.
Zinedine Zidane, part of the first Galactico era publicly voiced his opinion when Real sold Claude Makelele and bought Beckham. He famously quipped “Why put another layer of gold paint on the Bentley when you are losing the entire engine?” To put it precisely, for every Paul Pogba and Andrea Pirlo, there always is a Claudio Marchisio in the team.
Football is a team game after all, so it stands to reason that much of the good work is being done by the players who don’t create a 100,000 view Youtube video of a goal or a mazy dribble taking apart 5 opponents.
The Premier League has had its fair share of underrated players - Footballers who have been often overlooked, unfairly criticised and never get their share of the limelight. The underrated stars of this season.
1) Scott Dann – Crystal Palace
One of the most under-rated defenders in English football (overlooked for the Euros as well). A born Scouser, Dann is one of the most consistent players at Crystal Palace. A model professional, whose manager Alan Pardew regards as the finest central defender. Maybe, his unwanted record of having been a part of teams getting relegated in consecutive seasons (Birmingham in 2011, Blackburn in 2012) still hangs over him.
At 28, Dann has emerged as one of the leaders in the dressing room, an influential voice following his move from Championship club Blackburn Rovers in January 2014 for a measly 2.75 million. A Tony Pulis signing, Dann has become a vital member and was awarded a 5-year contract. He was courted by Chelsea this season, yet has been overlooked for England with pundits asking for his inclusion. A no-nonsense defender, he never takes chances and prefers to put his foot into challenges.
“Scott has been really underestimated throughout his career, but now I manage him I realise how good he is”, his manager Pardew commented after his fine defensive display against Liverpool.