The Most Underrated Players in the Premiership

Sunderland

Steed Malbranque would have won this award had he stayed with Spurs, and it is fitting that he should also be Sunderland's most underrated player. A player with a great first touch, vision, and work rate—Malbranque has been Sunderland's best performer this season.

Keane pulled off a great coup in signing the underrated Frenchman, as he is a solid performer with years of Premiership experience behind him. And as Sunderland rise up the table, and Spurs go into free fal,l it's easy to see why when you sell a player of Malbranque's ability.

Tottenham Hotspur

Now this is a tough one. Like Newcastle, Spurs are a big club who are run badly. They specialise in signing players that think they've made it and then stop trying. Finding an overrated player is easy, finding an underrated one is another thing entirely.

And it seems apt that the player I've chosen to be Spurs most underrated player has not played so far this season. Tom Huddlestone is a classy centre half with a phenomenal range of passing. What he lacks in stamina, he makes up in his reading of the game and his technical ability. A future in midfield seems likely, whether it's with Spurs or not is another question.

West Bromich Albion

The newly promoted side have made some good signings, as they look to consolidate in their first season back in the big leagues. But it's one of last year's signings that really stand out in the underrated stakes.

James Morrison was signed from Middlesbrough in 2007 and has quickly established himself as a regular in Tony Mowbray's side.

He is an incredibly quick player and is one of the few players who retains that speed when he has the ball. Equally capable out wide or through the centre, Morrison has quickly established himself as a player with a great future.

And although he had played for England at every level, he jumped at the chance to represent Scotland when they made their interest known. A shrewd move by both.

West Ham Utd

Since moving to West Ham from Spurs, Matthew Etherington has established himself as one of the best left-sided players in England. Part of the same side at Peterborough as Simon Davies, both were signed by Spurs in 2000. And while Davies went on to become a regular, Etherington was never really rated at White Hart Lane.

He won player of the year in his first season as a Hammer and was influential in them gaining promotion in 2004. Since then, he has been a fixture in the West Ham side under numerous managers. He has great pace and is a reminder of a bygone age when wingers ruled the world.

Wigan Athletic

While Steve Bruce's signings: Zaki, Valencia, and Palacios get all the attention and are linked to a bigger club every week, Maynor Figuroa goes about his business efficiently.

The Honduran international has been a fixture in the side this season. A brilliant left back who can also play in midfield, Figuroa has great pace, a powerful shot, and a superb work ethic.

He's on loan until January, where Wigan will have to decide whether to sign him permanently or lose him. Wise money would be on Bruce trying to keep him, but Wigan's wages are perilously high, and he could move on to another side in the Premiership after his impressive displays.

Well, that's my take on some of the Premier League's underrated players. Do you agree?

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