These are the 10 players I am
especially excited to be watching this season.
In
some cases, they may be players who are breaking through or
settling in and I have tried to mix it up with newcomers as well as
established players; but all are challenged to make an impact at
their clubs. It's a group of players who really make you realise
the season is close. I will be watching to see how they
develop.
My 10 last season worked
out OK. I wonder if these will live up to the
expectation.
Phil Jones
(Manchester United)
This lad is quick, covers the
ground well and is happy holding in front of the back four as well
as playing as a central defender. Manchester United weren't the
only club to be watching him - he could have had a pick of five or
six - and I am excited about him. He could become a mainstay for
England quickly too and looks to be a potential future England
captain.
Big potential: Phil Jones has all the attributes to be
a future England captain
Sir Alex Ferguson has now
signed Jones and Chris Smalling to challenge the mighty Nemanja
Vidic and Rio Ferdinand. What I like about Jones especially is that
he is confident without being arrogant. He will back himself to
find a way into the team and, with Rio missing a number of games
through injury last season, Jones may well make a push for being a
regular, once he deals with the demands of playing for a big club.
He is strong in the tackle, mobile and a modern central defender
who is also comfortable on the ball.
David de Gea
(Manchester United)
He is a terrific goalkeeper,
who arrives with a big fee (£17.8m) and a big reputation - but they
are giant gloves to fill at Manchester United, where Edwin van der
Sar's footwork was as important as his shot-stopping. At least De
Gea will have Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand on guard in front of
him but his concentration will be vital.
Big gloves to fill: David de Gea has the unenviable
task of replacing Edwin van der Sar
When you are Manchester
United's goalkeeper, there are often long periods of doing nothing.
Then, when you are called into action, you have to be ready. The
English league will be different from the Spanish, where he seems
to have conceded a lot of goals from distance. In that respect he
had the worst record in La Liga last season, but that may be
deceiving. He is agile, exciting and has huge promise. How he deals
with the mistakes will be crucial, like all young
goalkeepers.
Luis Suarez (Liverpool)
I know the Liverpool dressing
room really fancies him and he has what it takes to be a big star
in the Barclays Premier League. He is a dynamic match-winner; a
goalscorer who looked to have settled quickly after his move from
Holland and the Liverpool fans have taken to him. Unlike Andy
Carroll, who is still trying to fit in at Anfield, Suarez looks at
home.
King Luis: Suarez settled quickly at Anfield last
season
A long Copa America campaign
for Uruguay might require some rest - and means he has missed
Liverpool's pre-season campaign. But it didn't take long for him to
look a typical Kenny Dalglish-type signing last season, so his
absence from a disappointing pre-season programme shouldn't knock
him out of his stride. He's quick, direct, can dribble and finish.
What's not to like about him? If Liverpool are to have a big season
he will be critical to their chances of progress.
Rafael van der Vaart
(Tottenham)
Using a bit of inside
knowledge from the Tottenham camp, I can share with you that he has
looked the part during the pre-season build-up. My dad, Harry, is
very happy with the Dutchman's progress; he is flying. He showed
glimpses of genius last season and finished as top scorer, but he
struggled to last 90 minutes in the dash and crash of the Premier
League. Was it a fitness issue or was there a lack of steam? He
always seemed like he was touch and go to play in matches and needs
to build up his fitness for the season ahead.
Crowd pleaser: The Tottenham faithful took Rafael van
der Vaart to their hearts last season
An eye-catching player, who
hits a great free kick. His popularity at The Lane, where they have
enjoyed entertainers over the years, is evidence of his ability. He
has also played for big clubs throughout his career and knows what
it takes to be a winner. A second season can always be more
demanding for a player, but he has what it takes to cope with the
extra attention and remain a matchwinner.
Scott
Sinclair
(Swansea)
He's been on loan here, there
and everywhere without finding a home - until now. Manager Brendan
Rodgers has worked on his confidence and given him a platform to
use his explosive pace, coming from the left side, where he is told
to hug the wing and wait for openings. The problem will be that
those openings don't come very often in the Premier League and,
against better defenders who will be more comfortable with dealing
with his pace, he will have to take his chances when they
arrive.
Key man: Scott Sinclair (right) scored a hat-trick for
Swansea in the play-off final (above)
Put him in a red shirt and he
would remind you of Theo Walcott and, like Theo, he can run down
blind alleys, so he will have to be selective and more versatile.
When confident and in form, he is a threat. He covers the ground
quickly with a short and explosive stride pattern. He scored a
hat-trick in the Championship play-off final, despite rarely being
in the game. His frightening pace will be Swansea's biggest weapon
in what will be a hard season ahead.
Connor Wickham
(Sunderland)
Big, strong, powerful boy who
is quick for his size and is a direct, old-fashioned centre
forward. A lot of bigger clubs looked at him and some scouts were
undecided; I've seen him on good and bad days too. But when he is
good, he looks a talent and I am looking forward to seeing him
stepping into the Premier League after his time in the Championship
with Ipswich.
Powerful: Connor Wickham could prove to be a bargain
for Sunderland
The responsibility of leading
the line for Sunderland (and stepping into Darren Bent's boots) is
a tough challenge for the teenager, but his capture is an exciting
one and decent value for money (£8million) too when you consider
how much Liverpool paid for Andy Carroll (£35m). I like what
Sunderland have done this summer; they have been positive in the
transfer market when other clubs have been ponderous. The board
have supported Steve Bruce, who I like as a manager. Now his
signings have to deliver for him and Wickham's goals will be
important.
Robin van Persie
(Arsenal)
To put it simply: if he stays
fit, he wins the golden boot and Arsenal enjoy a fantastic season.
I know I often write about him in my regular Sportsmail column, but that is because
he is a sensational footballer and one of the Premier League's
poster boys. He plays on the edge with an arrogance and a swagger.
His goals-per-game ratio is excellent, he can score from distance
and executes chances with a range of finishing. He strikes the ball
cleanly and is lethal all around the box. Arsenal have endured
another difficult summer, but he is still there and can be their
talisman.
Talisman: Arsenal are a much better side when Robin van
Persie is fit
Sorry to return to it, but his
fitness is so important. He doesn't play enough games. Get him out
on the pitch more and Arsenal will win more games. Broke the record
last season for scoring in successive away games (nine in nine),
which shows us all what he can do... when fit.
Charles N'Zogbia (Aston
Villa)
Look at his goals record from
last season when he scored 10 in a struggling side. He's the reason
Wigan stayed in the Premier League. His strengths are that he is
quick, dynamic and is an old-fashioned dribbler. Remember the two
goals he scored against West Ham in a crucial game at the end of
last season that condemned them to relegation. It showed he can
perform in pressure games. The next challenge will be to prove he
can step it up, deal with the big fee Villa have paid (£9.5million)
and continue to run matches.
Full of tricks: Signing Charles N'Zogbia may prove to
be a shrewd bit of business by Alex McLeish
I like his direct style and he
can step into Ashley Young's boots and prove to be an astute
signing by Alex McLeish. He can sometimes be moody, which affected
him at Newcastle and, at times, during his stay at Wigan. It may
explain why bigger clubs than Villa considered him too risky. But
he is maturing, exciting and will give Villa fans those
edge-of-the-seat moments.
Adel Taarabt (QPR)
He will polarise opinions, but
Adel could be the most skilful player in the Premier League. He is
the playmaker extraordinaire for newly-promoted QPR and Neil
Warnock has done well to get the best out of him, allowing his
daring play not to be a negative influence on the team
pattern.
Playmaker extraordinaire: Queen's Park Rangers captain
Adel Taarabt
Sometimes they will need two
balls; one for him and one for the rest of the team and he will get subbed after 30
minutes one week, then win a match single-handedly the next. How
will Warnock incorporate such a maverick into his team, especially
away from home where you need to keep it tight? Only a handful of
players can do what he can do with a ball. Frustratingly
brilliant.
Sergio Aguero (Manchester
City)
Manchester City's new Mighty
Mouse. Once Kevin Keegan's nickname at Hamburg, now Aguero is the
new big-name arrival in the Premier League and all eyes will be
cast in his direction. A stunning volleyer of the ball, he loves to
hit it on the full and reminds me of the technique and expertise of
Mark Hughes with that skill. He also loves to get the ball into the
box with his back to goal and can hold up the play, or spin and run
at defenders.
Signing of the season? Sergio Aguero is a great
addition to the Premier League
How City play him will be
fascinating. They have so many strikers and Roberto Mancini seems
to prefer a 4-3-3 formation with two wide, allowing Yaya Toure to
gallop through the middle to support. Aguero has played in a 4-4-2
for Atletico Madrid, alongside Diego Forlan, so how will that work
with Balotelli and Dzeko; not to mention Tevez, Adebayor, Santa
Cruz, Bellamy...? Aguero will be first pick, that's for sure. And
he is the most exciting addition to the Premier League for years.
Surely City must finish in the top two.
