The Top English Premier League Players to Watch in 2012

There is almost nothing in football as relentless as the English Premier League.

The summers and preseasons in between campaigns are as chock-full of discussion and stories as the season itself. While others in Europe rest up for Christmas, the English game slogs it out in a crucial period that sees the fixtures come thick and fast.

You are constantly seeing, or at least being informed of, those players that you have to keep an eye on as for one reason or another they are going to influence what's going on in this great league.

So it is now as we head into 2012 and look ahead to what the year might bring.

It has been a great first half of the Premier League season and much more is expected of the second as we look forward to what might be the most thrilling battles at the top and bottom of the league for some time. But who will be the players making an impact in this season and for the remainder of the year?

This list of 30 players compiles the stars that look set to keep on shining, players with the European Championships on their mind and others who have much at stake, so as to make 2012 a hugely important year for them. Not to mention 20 of the best youngsters who might make their name in the coming year.

Naturally there are probably many players who have missed out who for one of these reasons or another might have a big year ahead of them, so please feel free to leave your suggestions for those Premier League players we should be watching out for in 2012.

Demba Ba

Not that Demba Ba performed poorly at West Ham United, far from it, but Hammers fans did not get to see the best of the Senegalese striker if only because he wasn't there long enough.

If he had been signed at the start of the 2010/11 campaign rather than in the January transfer window, Ba might have been the sort of difference-maker capable of keeping them in the Premier League.

Newcastle United have enjoyed the luxury of having Ba right from the start, 14 goals being the impressive return that has fired the Magpies to a positive first half of the campaign. Recent injuries throughout the squad have contributed to a downturn in form for the side, but Ba's strong performances have been maintained and have helped keep them competitive.

Ba's first year in the Premier League (though not in England—he previously had a spell at Watford and a trial at Barnsley) can be classed a success. He has become an integral member of Newcastle's side and the club's future on-field prosperity will in many ways come down to his continued goal scoring.

In the immediate future Ba will be joining up with the Senegal squad for the African Cup of Nations. Premier League clubs have gotten used to doing without their African stars every two years post-Christmas; Newcastle will live without Ba for better or worse. A serious test of his credentials as one of the best strikers playing in England will come in how he contributes to Newcastle for the remainder of the season when he returns.

Tom Huddlestone

Tom Huddlestone has endured a frustrating, injury-plagued year. At a time when he could have been further cementing his place in the heart of the Tottenham Hotspur midfield, as well as pushing for a regular spot in the England squad, he has instead spent much of 2011 on the sidelines.

Previously at Spurs you might have viewed the central midfield positions as Luka Modric plus one. In his absence, Huddlestone has seen Sandro and Scott Parker both perform impressively since joining the club, to the extent to which the defensive midfielder spot(s) in the Spurs defensive midfield has effectively become off limits.

Even when Huddlestone does return from his ankle injury he will also have to deal with competition from Jake Livermore, a player Harry Redknapp regards well and who has become a regular on the Tottenham bench.

Huddlestone was already approaching a point when we would begin to see if he was more than just a player who could hit a wonderful pass, but one who could utilise his ability and become a consistently influential midfielder.

We will now also see whether he does this with Tottenham, or if he will have to move elsewhere in 2012 to get his career back on track.

Wayne Rooney

Twenty-six-year-old Wayne Rooney has been performing at the top level for so long now he can be genuinely classed as one of the veterans of the Manchester United squad.

Maturity hasn't been a quality he has been seen to embrace in the form of those most public of tantrums, but you don't enjoy as much as success with one of the world's biggest clubs as Rooney has without having some sense for experience in your head.

And experience is the name of the game for Rooney in 2012.

At United it will be in leading a young squad in defence of their Premier League title in a likely battle with an ever-upwards-moving Manchester City.

For England it will be in learning from the lessons of previous experiences at international tournaments. Rooney will miss the first two games of the group stage through suspension, so should England still be in the game after that point, there will be little room for the misplaced aggression that has blighted previous occasions.

Robin van Persie

Robin van Persie has enjoyed the best year yet of his career in 2011; his 16 goals as of writing in the 2011/12 campaign has almost single-handedly kept Arsenal in contention in the Premier League.

It is a no-brainer that the Dutchman is one of the Premier League players to watch in 2012.

Arsenal will be so reliant on him for goals as they look to end a silverware drought and maintain their impressive reign as a top-four side. Neutrals too will be hopeful that one of the world's in-form strikers maintains his run of great performances and wonderful goals.

And should Arsenal fall short of their targets, the future of van Persie will also be one of the biggest stories of the summer as he decides whether a fondness for the club outweighs a desire for a better chance of success elsewhere.

Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard

Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have been linked together throughout the past decade as probably the best two and undoubtedly the two most successful English midfielders of the past decade. Most prominently, this link has manifested itself in their struggle to develop a working partnership at international level for England.

They too now share further common ground as in the autumn of their careers they have faced possibly the greatest respective challenges to their ego they have had to endure.

For Gerrard it has been the injury problems that have blighted 2011, for Lampard the growing realisation he is no longer guaranteed a regular starting place in the Chelsea team.

It is likely the two will be teamed together once more in an England squad looking to have an impact at the European Championships, but in the immediate future one of the most interesting watches of the first half of 2012 will be the impact these two great players can have on their teams.

Liverpool have undoubtedly missed Gerrard's experience in uniting a young and fledgling team together; now as they face a prolonged absence without their newest hero Luis Suarez, they will need their captain to inspire them more than ever.

A title challenge for Chelsea is looking increasingly unlikely, but they remain in the Champions League and earning a return to that competition in the league is vitally important to the club's long-term health. Just what part Andre Villas-Boas envisages Lampard playing in these challenges remains to be seen.

Joleon Lescott

It is to the credit of James Milner, Gareth Barry and Joleon Lescott that they have more than stood their own amidst the expensive and glamorous foreign talent that has invaded Manchester City Football Club.

Lescott in particular has had some work to do in convincing people he is a top-class defender, and though he might not satisfy everyone, this season he has shown he might just be that.

Prior to December 31, City had conceded only 15 league goals, the joint fewest in the division (with Liverpool). This has been a group effort for sure, but Lescott has played a big part in that.

The remainder of the season will pose a big test of his true quality. City's difficulties in the Champions League exposed their lack of experience, and it will be crucial to their title challenge that they do not let a lack of familiarity with the situation damage their hunt.

Lescott has done well in stating his case up to now, but we will have to wait and hear his closing arguments before we give a full verdict.

Victor Moses

Hyped young Englishmen—football has known many. Victor Moses' excellent form for Crystal Palace in the Championship as the January transfer window of the 2009/10 season approached had many linking him with a move to the Premier League club.

Moses was scoring goals and playing well, and what with Palace's money problems at the time, it was all but inevitable he would be sold. If Wigan Athletic was not the most glamorous destination for the winger, it certainly made sense in that it offered him top-flight football but without the level of expectation that might have come elsewhere.

Just what category of hyped young Englishmen Moses will fall into—worthy of the hype star, decent pro or general letdown—remains to be seen.

So far Moses has been around average. Playing well on occasion and giving Wigan a dangerous attacking outlet, other times he has struggled to get into games. Injuries too have hurt his progression.

The Latics' opener in a recent 2-1 win against West Brom will have done his confidence good; now it is up to Moses if he can build on this in 2012.

Royston Drenthe

One of the more recent "bad boys" of Dutch football, Royston Drenthe has not yet fulfilled the expectancy that came with his move to Real Madrid. A loan spell last season at Hércules was not overly successful and with his prospects at the Bernabeu nonexistent, he has this season been trying his luck with Everton.

Having started five games and been brought on in a further six, his return of two goals and five assists is not a bad return for the 24-year-old.

With Everton's financial issues the likelihood of a permanent move to Goodison Park might not be on the agenda, but the remainder of the season is certainly important for both parties. Everton of course want to get something out of their season while Drenthe will want to try restore a personal reputation that has been damaged somewhat in the past few years.

Drenthe is undoubtedly capable of contributing, and given a sustained run in the team, might yet prove himself one of the Premier League's most exciting players this season. The question will be, how much does he want it?

Andy Carroll

Andy Carroll has not quite enjoyed the first year he, nor indeed Liverpool paying £35 million for him, will have wanted and maybe even expected.

That huge sum of money has rushed up the process somewhat, but regardless of that price, all parties would do well to remember that at 22-year-old Carroll is still learning.

Newcastle United's style of play was fashioned more with the striker in mind, their direct leanings making the most of his imposing physical stature. At Liverpool that has not been quite the case.

Carroll is not the main star, and with the added caveat that this Liverpool side is a fledgling team only recently put together, it is not altogether surprising that he has not found complete consistency in his game yet.

But watching Carroll he is doing many things right, of which most importantly, more and more he is getting himself on the receiving end of plenty of chances.

He won't have forever to get it right, but it is not time to give up on his Liverpool career just yet.

Alejandro Faurlin

Statistically Alejandro Faurlin's first season in the Premier League is not overly impressive, at least in that he has only recorded one goal and no assists.

That would be ignoring what you actually see on the pitch, and Faurlin this season has reiterated his importance to Queens Park Rangers while showing himself to be an adept Premier League performer.

So much of QPR's game runs through the Argentinian. As they look to establish themselves in the division, Faurlin's comfort with the ball at his feet and in bringing others into the game has proved a calming influence on his side.

QPR have a mighty task on their hands in avoiding relegation, and while they have some spending power that might influence this, they will need the spine of their team to stay strong. Faurlin is evidently vital to that and you imagine their success (or lack of it) may well be dependent on him.

Come next season, whether or not QPR are still in the Premier League, there may be one or two clubs keen on Faurlin's services as they look to instill some class in their own midfield.

Christopher Samba

Much criticism has been directed towards Blackburn Rovers manager Steve Kean by the club's supporters this season. Comparatively the Rovers defence has got off lightly, but watching them it is clear that their consistently poor displays are the major factor for the team's struggles.

This is not a new problem. The last days of the Sam Allardyce tenure were full of similarly bad defensive displays with, then as now, only the work in goal of Paul Robinson and more recently Mark Bunn stopping them from being routed.

It is interesting then that one part of this defence, Christopher Samba, has over the course of this time been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham and is regarded as a potential good signing.

With his sizable physical presence it is obvious to see why he might be viewed as a good defensive acquisition but, while not awful, he has hardly been dominating at the back for Blackburn.

This is all a way of saying that whether Samba remains with Rovers for the remainder of 2011/12 or heads elsewhere now, a serious test of his ability is coming soon.

At Blackburn it will be to see if he can step up and attempt to instill some solidity to their defence, at the very least giving his all for the cause. If he moves elsewhere we will find out if he is a legitimate top defender, or just a big bloke who is good in the air.

Bryan Ruiz

In a perfect world every new foreign signing would straightaway settle in and acclimatise himself to the different style of his new league. In reality it is not so simple, with each player unique in how quickly they adjust to their new surroundings, with some never quite achieving this.

Fulham's Bryan Ruiz was one of the past summer's most intriguing new arrivals. The forward's first season in Holland had seen him play a big role in Twente winning the Eredivisie, but his second campaign had proved less successful.

Having coached in his native Holland in this time, the new Fulham boss Martin Jol believed he had seen enough to think he could succeed in the Premier League. It is too early to judge whether he has been proven right, but the early signs are promising.

Ruiz's two goals so far, against Everton and Bolton, were sublime. The latter significantly contributed to a 2-0 home win. Performance-wise he has looked extremely comfortable on the ball and with each passing week is getting more involved as a key link between midfield and the final third.

If this can be translated into a more tangible end product, Fulham by the season's end might boast some of the Premier League's most interesting attacking weapons—though one of which might not be long for Craven Cottage...

Bobby Zamora

For whatever reason, Fulham's Bobby Zamora and his manager Martin Jol haven't developed the best of working relationships together. Considering what an important player Zamora has been for the club in recent years, you might think this would spell trouble for a new manager like Jol.

But with the previously mentioned Ruiz and Clint Dempsey playing well, in addition to Andrew Johnson's early season form, it has not been so integral for Fulham that Zamora be on top form.

That is not to say he is playing poorly, far from it. However as yet he has yet to convince Jol as to why he should be the main man up front for his team.

This has come at a frustrating time for Zamora with the striker harbouring dreams of a place in England's Euro 2012 squad. The 30-year-old knows this might be his best-ever chance at playing at a major tournament, and while Fabio Capello remains keen for now, there is still work to be done.

Zamora's previous time at Fulham shows he is someone who can contribute in a big way for his team, but 2012 might just see him on the move once more.

Jamie O'Hara

Jamie O'Hara played a big part in keeping Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League last season, but since making his loan move permanent in the summer, has not since achieved his best form for the Molineux outfit.

The same could be said for another summer Wolves signing, Roger Johnson, and many more of the playing staff this season. They have, on the whole, been quite simply adequate.

What makes O'Hara stand out more than others here is that he is a player who has been given an opportunity for regular first-team football after a complicated few years.

Injury saw the midfielder miss much of 2010/11 but he had already fallen out of favour at Tottenham. The previous season he had been one of the few redeeming factors in a disastrous year for Portsmouth, making the most of a regular run of football to prove himself a Premier League player.

Wolves need O'Hara to perform well once more in helping them stay in the top flight, but he just as much needs them, because if it doesn't work out he might find it difficult to get back to the Premier League. The first half of 2012 is without doubt the most crucial period in O'Hara's football career so far.

Stephen Hunt

It would be cruel to label Wolves' Stephen Hunt a jinx, and especially so to place any serious level of blame on his shoulders, but it is an interesting storyline of his career that the Irishman's two previous spells in the Premier League ended with relegation at Reading and Hull City respectively.

Hunt went down with Reading after their second season in the top flight, and while he was only at Hull for one season, it too was their sophomore season in the Premier League after promotion.

Wolves escaped on the last day of 2010/11 to ensure a third season in a row, but they are looking like facing another fight for survival. Should they be caught by the trap door, any EPL club looking to sign Hunt next season should just keep this in mind...

Juan Mata

Juan Mata has been a breath of fresh air for a Chelsea squad that had been lacking in flair and creativity. Five goals and eight assists in all competitions, not to mention some entertaining performances full of great skill, have confirmed him as being a good bit of business for the West London club.

In many respects he is following a similar pattern to that of his Spanish compatriot David Silva. He too arrived in England from Valencia, enjoying a very good first year in which he quickly became a pivotal player for his side, in Silva's case that being Manchester City.

You can bet too that Mata will continue to enjoy a good first season with Chelsea before, with a full season under his belt, growing increasingly influential for his club and difficult for his opponents in the latter half of 2012. The Blues will be reliant on this occurring as they look to keep pace with the likes of City.

Charles N'Zogbia

One of the most disappointing signings of the season so far has been Charles N'Zogbia at Aston Villa. After two highly impressive seasons with Wigan Athletic the Frenchman was being viewed as one of the best young attacking players in the division and a perfect replacement for the departing Ashley Young.

N'Zogbia's return so far has been very disappointing; with no goals and just one assist, he has struggled to instill creativity in a Villa side that is severely lacking that quality.

The following year will give a good idea of what the Frenchman is made of. With no disrespect to Wigan, was the small-town/small-club environment better suited for N'Zogbia rather than the comparatively lofty expectations of a big-city club built on tradition and success?

Nobody should write N'Zogbia off just yet, but it is unlikely he will get many better opportunities than the one he has at Villa. Though they are one of the least watchable and most mundane sides in the Premier League right now, he has the ability to remedy this and bring back some color to Villa's drab displays.

David De Gea

It was ridiculous that literally right at the start of David De Gea's Manchester United career he was being scrutinised beyond belief. Everybody realises that whoever becomes the long-term successor to the legendary Edwin van der Sar has a mighty task on their hands, but to write a young goalkeeper off after a mere handful of games was crazy.

Since the season's start De Gea has gone about his job quietly and dependably, the 6-1 thrashing by Man City being the only terrible mark on his record.

Just as it was too early to give up on him a few months ago, it is still a little too early to say if the Spaniard is the right man to be United's No. 1 for the foreseeable future. The coming year will offer a better perspective on this.

De Gea has a busy second half to the season to contend with so much still to play for. There are few better learning experiences than this, one that will inform him personally on a great deal of his own capabilities and what needs to be worked on for the following season.

Danny Graham

Most people who have played the game professionally will tell you that the hardest thing to do in football is score goals. That has gone double for many forwards who have made the jump from lower-league football to the top flight.

Prolific forwards in the Championship or lower have made the step up and have had differing degrees of success. Some like Jason Scotland at Wigan never get going at all; others such as Jon Stead and Dave Kitson excel for a time but don't last too long in the Premier League. Then there are others who more than make the grade, going onto become some of the best strikers in the country, players the calibre of Ian Wright and Les Ferdinand, right through to Darren Bent.

Swansea's Danny Graham has bettered Scotland already, boasting six goals as of December 30 with the sixth itself a tremendously taken finish against QPR. To his credit too, Graham has worked hard to keep his head up even when the goals weren't coming on.

With Swansea reliant on Graham for goals he faces a great challenge knowing that his own form will have a major say in whether his team remains in the Premier League.

Jack Wilshere

The weight of expectancy will be on Jack Wilshere's young shoulders in 2012.

Arsenal supporters will be eagerly awaiting the return of a midfielder who, overall quality-wise, will augment the brilliance of Robin van Persie up front with his own superb contributions in midfield.

That midfield is not too shabby right now—Aaron Ramsey, Mikel Arteta and Alexandre Song among others have been performing more than admirably—but the prospect of a fully fit Wilshere getting involved will raise hopes of a surge into the top four as the season progresses.

Much hope too will be directed at what Wilshere might do for England at the European Championships.

Some great displays for club and country by Gareth Barry and Scott Parker of late have added extra intrigue to a prospective central midfield lineup that already had Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to consider. But after his displays for Arsenal against Barcelona in the Champions League, Wilshere has become viewed as a player who can comfortably live with the best in the world.

England fans, and likely Fabio Capello as well, will be banking much on Wilshere's quality making the difference.

Mario Balotelli

This list isn't ranked, as differentiating between so many great players and so many great potential stories would be something of a disservice to them. If there would have been a No. 1 player to watch in 2012 though, it would have been Mario Balotelli, no doubt about it.

The Italian striker is continuing to prove himself a quality striker possessing skill and quality finishing, a player who will only get better with time. But he is also, whether you like him or not, one of the most interesting characters on offer in the Premier League.

Theatrical, dramatic, captivating, perplexing, random, bonkers—those words and so many more apply to Balotelli. Make no mistake, you will not be able to take your eyes off him.

Peter Odemwingie

Just as they finished last season, West Bromwich Albion under Roy Hodgson are shaping up to be one of the quiet success stories of the Premier League this year.

As of December 30 they lay ninth in the table with 22 points, a decent tally for the Baggies. Hodgson has organised them into a tidy footballing side, with James Morrison, Paul Scharner and Chris Brunt some notable names performing particularly well.

It is up front they are most intriguing. Shane Long has gotten off to a solid beginning in his Premier League career, but the man perhaps most capable of winning them a game remains Peter Odemwingie.

The Nigerian has not matched the flying start of 2010/11, but is beginning once more to put some form together, an occurrence that has coincided with some consistency for the team itself.

Odemwingie signed a new three-year deal with West Brom last summer, and though it has seemed to have crossed his mind that there may be better opportunities elsewhere, he is likely to find none better suited to him than the one he is in right now.

West Brom are a club looking very capable of achieving top-flight stability and have a manager that in the next couple of years could help them even progress further. In the likes of Brunt, Odemwingie has players of genuine talent to work with too.

If he stays focused on the job, this could continue to be a very mutually beneficial partnership.

Nigel Reo-Coker

The struggles of Bolton Wanderers this season have caught many by surprise, few being able to recognise the team that went to the FA Cup semifinal last season in the dispirited and below-par bunch currently playing.

There are several factors that seemed to have played a part in their poor form, one of which has been the general failure of their summer signings to make a big impact.

One such player has been Nigel Reo-Coker, but then again there has been a sense he has been going through the motions (at least in terms of his own enjoyment and enthusiasm) for a while now.

For a time at West Ham he looked like a prospective England midfielder, but that form slumped and he left the club on bad terms when he moved to Aston Villa. There too he never quite got going. Only in his last season under Gerard Houllier did Reo-Coker seem to have found some real form and confidence, but the Frenchman's summer also saw the player depart too.

Bolton, therefore, and especially so now that they are looking mired in a relegation battle, feel like the last-chance saloon for Reo-Coker. If they are relegated it might prove difficult for him to return to the Premier League. If he plays his part in them staying up, he might find Bolton is the right place for him to settle and firmly get his career back on track.

Jonathan Woodgate

Jonathan Woodgate has had a torrid time of it when it comes to injuries. They blighted the defender's big opportunity at Real Madrid, cut him down just as he had good going at Spurs and just about ended his hopes of becoming an England regular.

Despite Spurs' decision to release him this past summer, Woodgate remains in high regard among many professionals, pundits and punters alike. Stoke may have been taking something of a chance on his long-term fitness when they signed him, but quality-wise he is a safe bet.

And so that is looking like being proven this season with Woodgate playing plenty of first-team football.

With defenders like Ryan Shawcross and Robert Huth at Stoke, Woodgate has players of proven quality to work him. It means that the days of him going to a side and being the main man in defence might have passed him by, but this is a decent concession to make when it allows him to concentrate on his game in the knowledge he will not solely be relied upon for defensive class and solidity.

As of December 30 Stoke lay eight in the Premier League table. If they push on they stand a good chance of becoming the best club in the division outside of the current "big six." If they do so, Woodgate may prove a big reason why.

Grant Holt and Steve Morison

Grant Holt has got around. The current Norwich City striker has played for 10 clubs including the Canaries.

It is there, though, Holt seems to have settled, playing a big role in their rise from League One to the Premier League, scoring 52 league goals in the process.

Holt is typical of the player Paul Lambert has looked to bring together in his squad. One with plenty of quality who has excelled in the lower leagues but with the hunger to aspire beyond them, and of course compatibility with others in the team.

Steve Morison is something of a younger version of Holt, at least in career experience up to now. The Welshman has also been around the lower divisions (in this case playing for five clubs) scoring plenty of goals and establishing a decent reputation for himself.

Both have bought into Lambert's ideas and this has been represented in their all-round performances this season so far. The future success of Norwich will be in large part down to whether this front two can deliver.

Thirteen goals between them in addition to four assists from Morison is a solid return, but it is of vital importance they continue to lead the Norwich line with characteristic hard work and eagerness. When they have played like this so far they have caused problems for opponents and they will need to continue to do so.

Micah Richards/Glen Johnson/Kyle Walker

An interesting subplot of the Premier League season so far has been the good form of three of England's right-backs, and potential squad members for Euro 2012.

At Tottenham Hotspur Kyle Walker's establishing a regular first-team place there has seen him earn international recognition while Glen Johnson has done well enough at Liverpool to keep in Fabio Capello's good books.

Despite arguably having the best season of the three of them so far, Manchester City's Micah Richards has remained out in the cold so far as England are concerned.

That these three are all competing for probably just two squad places, not to mention their involvement in the race for top-four places in the Premier League, makes this a triumvirate well worth keeping an eye on.

The Young Stars of the Premier League

Back in November I wrote about each Premier League club's most highly touted teenage prospect (with one or two slightly older exceptions).

Not much has changed since then to make me think these are players not worth keeping an eye out for; indeed some have already made strides in their respective club's first team.

Click the link above to check out each of these prospects that might well become the young stars of 2012.