The Five Best Premier League Discoveries of 2008/09

Premier League / Mike Norman / 29 April 2009 / 1 Comments

Mike Norman sets out a case for a quintet of players who have impressed so far this campaign.

A Premier League season regularly unearths a star player, one that might have previously been unheard off, or, as in Fernando Torres' case last season, one that was bought for a huge sum of money and had to live up to all the hype.

2008-09 has been slightly different however, in the fact that some of the really expensive players to be transferred (Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov especially) were already members of the Premier League and their abilities were fully established.

Robinho was the most expensive player to be transferred but unlike Torres, and Cristiano Ronaldo a few seasons earlier, he hasn't had a great first season in the Premier League with some of his performances away from home being far less impressive than those at the City of Manchester Stadium.

So when you get asked to name some of the players that have been discovered during the course of this season, the task becomes quite a difficult one. I would love to know if your top five would resemble something like my own, and they are...


5. Alex (Chelsea)

Brazilian born Alex originally joined Chelsea in 2004 but due to work permit problems spent three years out on loan at Dutch side PSV. Although he returned to Chelsea at the beginning of the 2007/08 season it wasn't until this season that he became an established member of the first team squad due to the frequent injuries to Ricardo Carvalho.

Alex has been a regular starter in Chelsea's back four under interim manager Guus Hiddink. He has had an outstanding season alongside John Terry, capped off by scoring a fabulous free-kick against Liverpool in that memorable Champions League encounter. If you think Alex and Chelsea will go on to lift the CL trophy in May you can currently back them at [4.4] to do so following their 0-0 draw with Barcelona last night.


4. Stephen Ireland (Manchester City)

To many Ireland probably won't fit into the category of a 'new discovery', but prior to this season he was probably best known for his problems with the Republic of Ireland international team. But this young attacking midfielder has been a revelation on the pitch this season, excelling in the company off (and arguably performing better than) Robinho.

He just missed out to Ashley Young on collecting the PFA Young Player of the Year award but on the evidence of this season, Stephen Ireland has an extremely bright future.


3. Luka Modric (Tottenham)

Modric had a great Euro 08 for Croatia, prompting then Tottenham boss Juande Ramos to pay around £16.5m for his services. He was relatively slow to adapt to the Premier League, but under new boss Harry Redknapp he has proved what a fantastic player he is.

Next season will be a big one for Modric as he will be expected to be the playmaker in a Spurs side that really should be doing better than what they've achieved this time around. Whatever the future holds for Modric, there is no denying that he has been one of the star players at White Hart Lane this term and that his 'discovery' has been a great asset to the Premier League.


2. Marouane Fellaini (Everton)

Fellaini is a bit like Modric in the way that he plays the game, orchestrating the midfield and starting (and often finishing) many attacks. He joined Everton from Standard Liege and instantly became a hit with Evertonians, not least because of his extravagant hairstyle. His height and power have proved to be one of the main reasons for his success this season, helping Everton to a lofty position in the Premier League and securing a place in this year's end of season showpiece - the FA Cup final.

Everton are available to back at [3.0] in the FA Cup Winner market, whilst their opponents on the day Chelsea are the strong favourites at [1.48].


1. Phil Jagielka (Everton)

It's been an absolutely outstanding season for Everton's Phil Jagielka, but just like Stephen Ireland he might not be classed as a 'new discovery'. That's because he spent a season with Sheffield United in the top flight before joining his current club in 2007. However, this campaign has been the one that has brought his name to the top of people's lists when talking about great defenders, culminating in a much deserved cap for the England national team against European Champions Spain.

The season has ended on a sour note for Jagielka however, as he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in a league match against Manchester City recently and will therefore miss the FA Cup Final. In the Match Odds market Everton can be backed at [4.9] to win the game (Chelsea [1.89], The Draw [3.3]). Let's hope for Phil's sake, Everton can win it.

Comments (1)

1. SLou | 01 May 2009

   Good choices. Albert Reira from Liverpool and Bosingwa from Chelsea would have been in my top five.