Luis Suarez was the Copa America’s dominant player, marking a second successive international tournament in which he’s excelled
30. Manuel Neuer
Schalke/Bayern Munich and Germany
Age 25
Position Goalkeeper
One of the most naturally talented young goalkeepers in the world, now the third most expensive in history and also Schalke’s stand-out player from their surges to the semi-finals of the Champions League and victory in the German Cup. Neuer was the effective foundation of both feats, as evidenced by his first-leg display against Manchester United.
His remaining flaws, though, were somewhat exposed by a few aberrations in the second leg as well as a howler on his Bayern debut. But that can be put down to his relative youth as a goalkeeper. The kind of stability associated with the retired Edwin van der Sar, after all, requires years of experience to build up. And Neuer already has a head start on his contemporaries.
Ability 16
Club form 15
International form 3/5
Total 78
29. David Silva
Manchester City and Spain
Age 25
Position Attacking midfielder/winger
It’s astonishing to think that Silva often looks lightweight and a lesser player when put amongst Spain’s array of attacking talent. Because he was usually a cut above in the Premier League. And that’s all the more impressive given that it was his debut season. The waif-like Silva adjusted immediately to the supposedly more physical demands of the Premier League and produced some sparkling performances. Combining well with Carlos Tevez, he often gave an otherwise functional City a badly-needed finesse.
Ability 16
Club form 16
International form 3/5
Total 78
28. Mats Hummels
Borussia Dortmund and Germany
Age 22
Position Central defender
By conceding a mere 22 goals in 34 games last season, Borussia Dortmund claimed the second defensive best record in the history of German football. And the key to that was Hummels. As the senior central defender in his partnership with Neven Subotic, Hummels’s intelligence, positional excellence and general assurance tied up a thrilling Dortmund side. But he didn’t just help convert their potential into genuine prizes. Hummels also turned himself into a genuinely world-class central defender. After a period in which the position was relatively fallow for German football, Hummels looks genuinely like continuing the line sustained for so long by the likes of Jurgen Kohler and George Schwarzenbeck.
Ability 16
Club form 16
International form 3/5
Total 78
27. Javier Hernandez
Manchester United and Mexico
Age 23
Position Striker
It’s difficult to think of a young foreign forward who had such a unique impact in his debut Premier League season. Indeed, for all the comparisons with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 1996-97, Hernandez’s 2010-11 arguably surpassed that campaign. Amid his 13 goals in 27 league games, seven of them were game-changing – most notably the late winner against Everton and early opener against Chelsea – while he also scored in the Champions League quarter-finals and semi-finals.
Although the hype around such contributions possibly ensured that Hernandez’s actual overall ability was often exaggerated, his movement did give United an extra dimension. It was telling that, once he and Rooney began to team up at the expense of Dimitar Berbatov, United looked a much more fluid and fearsome unit than the one that was just about doing enough to get by earlier in the season. Hernandez’s intelligent running often made it like having to mark two players.
And he complemented all of that with some key goals for Mexico’s Gold Cup success.
Ability 15
Club form 16
International form 3/5
Total 77
26. Edinson Cavani
Napoli and Uruguay
Age 24
Position Forward
One of the main reasons that a sparkling Napoli team returned to the Champions League for the first since Diego Maradona ruled the club was the magnificent form of their latest South American star. Cavani provided 26 goals and six assists in 35 games as his side thrilled their way to the third. But it wasn’t just the quantity of his contributions. It was the quality. Cavani scored hat-tricks against both Juventus and Lazio as well as a series of game-changing goals. What’s more, he had the right blend of selfishness in terms of finishing and selflessness in workrate. Cavani operated across the frontline and was often the key piece in Walter Mazzarri’s ever-changing tactical approach.
Injury and other options – most notably Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan – meant he didn’t quite have the impact in the Copa America that might have been expected. But, if form like this continues, that’s unlikely to be case for long.
Ability 16
Club form 16
International form 3/5
Total 78
25. Radamel Falcao
FC Porto and Colombia
Age 25
Position Striker
The player who best epitomised the emphatic nature of Porto’s performances last season. As the team’s pressing game often overwhelmed teams, Falcao then duly overpowered many a defence with his aerial presence and heading ability. Fittingly, that was exactly how he settled the Europa League final.
Indeed, arguably blessed with the best head in world football in terms of finishing, eight of his 17 Europa League goals came through that route. And 10 of those 17 came in three games as Falcao scored two hat-tricks and a four-goal haul on the way to breaking Jurgen Klinsmann’s previous competition record of 15.
There is, of course, much more to his game than offering a mere target. Interestingly, only four of his 16 league goals (in 22 games) came through his head. With intelligent movement, acceleration and fine technique, he also transferred his form to the international stage by playing an important role in Colombia’s passage to the Copa America quarter-finals.
Ultimately overshadowed his strike partner Hulk. And has the capacity to do that to many more.
Ability 16
Club form 16
International form 7/10
Total 78
24. Victor Valdes
Barcelona and Spain
Age 29
Position Goalkeeper
In a side as scintillating as Barcelona, the goalkeeper often has very little to do. The key with Valdes, though, is that he performed his minimal role to the absolute maximum.
Barcelona’s necessarily high defensive line means they are susceptible to ceding straight one-on-ones. But the 29-year-old had a superb record in stopping them – most notably against Shakhtar Donetsk and even Real Madrid.
On that latter note, this was arguably the season in which he overtook Iker Casillas as Spain’s – and the world’s – top goalkeeper. But only Casillas’s continued place as Spain’s number-one – and Valdes’s consequent lack of opportunity to transfer his form across – prevents that happening in our list.
Ability 16
Club form 16
International form na
Total 78
23. Iker Casillas
Real Madrid and Spain
Age 30
Position Goalkeeper
Some of his 2009-10 errors and a few early jitters in the World Cup have eroded the once unquestioned trust that was put into Casillas as a goalkeeper. But the manner in which he grew into that tournament in South Africa – particularly those saves against Arjen Robben in the final – heralded a return to form.
If not necessarily the spectacular specimen of old, Casillas was generally consistent and composed for Real this season – exactly what an experienced, world-class keeper should be. He also put in a superb performance in the game that brought Real’s only trophy of the campaign: Casillas was sensational in the spell of utter dominance Barcelona enjoyed in the second half of the Copa del Rey final.
Ability 17
Club form 15
International form 3/5
Total 78
22. Nuri Sahin
Borussia Dortmund/Real Madrid and Turkey
Age 22
Position Central midfield
One of the most complete midfielders in the world and seemingly Xavi’s only successor from beyond Spain. Sahin combined moments of individual genius with total control of games in the Bundesliga last season. As Borussia Dortmund set the pace, it was the young Turk who controlled the tempo. He was the driving force in their devastating and exhilarating run to the title. As his now former manager Jurgen Klopp said, Sahin is “an awesome player, a strategist… I can’t think of anything he can’t do”.
Overcoming Xavi at Real Madrid might be one particularly difficult task. But then it’s only the fact that he hasn’t yet taken his talents to that kind of stage which keeps him out of the top 20.
Ability 16
Club form 16
International form 3/5
Total 78
21. Luis Suarez
Ajax/Liverpool and Uruguay
Age 24
Position Forward/winger
When Luiz Suarez scored over a goal a game for Ajax in the season before the 2010 World Cup, there were a few murmurs of dismissal about it only being the Dutch league. But, the fact is, Suarez has consistently proven his quality at escalating levels.
Having gone on, then, to be one of the most influential players in South Africa, he immediately adapted to the Premier League with some irresistible displays. Such was his effect in a mere 13 games for Liverpool last season that he has arguably superseded a faltering Steven Gerrard as the team’s most important player. Certainly, Suarez has a rare ingenuity and ability to successfully beat players in very tight spaces.
Most impressively in the last year, however, he was the Copa America’s dominant player. After a fine tournament, Suarez scored two goals in the final to deliver Uruguay to a record 15th victory.
All that remains is for him to restore Liverpool to the one stage he has yet to excel in: the Champions League.
Ability 17
Club form 14
International form 8/10
Total 78