Premier League Hero and Villain of the Week

Finding a Premier League villain of the week was easy.

Considering most top-flight clubs are going about their business quietly and engaging in preseason friendlies, it should have been a lot harder to hone in on the league's current antihero.

But it wasn't. Turn to the back pages of any newspaper, visit a number of football websites and you’ll be greeted with stories of power and indulgence that would make Gordon "Greed is good" Gekko swell with pride.

The dubious award of being named villain of the week has to go to the want-away, mollycoddled striker of the Premier League.

Joint honours, then, for Wayne Rooney and Luis Suarez.

The symmetry between the pair in recent weeks makes them both equally eligible for selection. Which is more than they have done for their respective clubs, Manchester United and Liverpool, where "injuries" have kept the pair out of recent preseason friendlies.

For those who are not familiar with the current goings-on in the north west, first of all—count yourselves lucky.

In a nutshell, each striker wants out. They want out now.

Rooney's relationship with United has been on a steady decline since 2010, when he declared that he wanted to leave the club, who no longer matched his ambitions.

Two days later he signed a new five-year contract, after brokering a deal said to be worth £250,000-a-week.

Flash forward to 2013 and Rooney’s relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson was frosty at best.

Now, with former Everton boss David Moyes at the helm of the club, it appears that Rooney still wants to walk.

However, United are taking the stance that they don't want to sell the 27-year-old. As reported by the Independent’s Jack de Menezes, Chelsea have made two offers to bring the striker to Stamford Bridge but, as yet, United have declined.

In Suarez's case, you would have had to be living under a rock for the last year to miss the headlines about him.

The Uruguayan added to his lengthy rap sheet in April, when (in villainous style) he bit Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic. Cue, justifiably, a media storm.

Player gets banned for ten games, says he wants to leave England to escape the media spotlight, then looks like his most likely move will be to Arsenal, who have made two bids for the striker. (Luis, you do realize that's in London?)

Both forwards want to leave their clubs. This is nothing new; it happens all the time.

However, it's the childish behavior demonstrated by both Rooney and Suarez that makes them my joint pick for villain of the week.

Rooney, who left United's preseason tour of Asia and Australia with a hamstring injury, did not make the team's trip to Sweden this week, with a shoulder injury that happened "behind closed doors," as reported by Charles Perrin in the Express. If this doesn't drip with suspicion, I don't know what does.

Suarez has five years remaining on his current deal and, although appearing in Steven Gerrard's testimonial last week, he will miss Liverpool's preseason trip to Norway with a foot injury, seen here on the BBC Sport website.

Perhaps they are legitimately out of action. Call me a cynic, but these injuries seem a little too convenient for two players who are desperate to escape their clubs for pastures new.

There are also murmurings that the two players might turn to legal action to escape their current contracts. According to the Guardian's Daniel Taylor, Rooney may try to "force" United into selling him. Elsewhere, ESPNfc.com reports that Luis Suarez is considering a related move at Anfield.

For Suarez, it wouldn't be the first time, as he left Groningen to join Ajax in 2007 under similar circumstances.

I know that villains are meant to be deadly, but every time I read a new story about the players above, I die a little bit inside.

Hero of the Week

Every Joker needs a Batman, every Bob Ewell needs an Atticus Finch and every Premier League villain needs his opposite number—the hero.

This week's worthy recipient is Everton's John Stones.

Who? You may ask.

On Wednesday, Stones did what few before him and probably many after him will fail to do. He out-Pirlo'd Andrea Pirlo.

As part of a preseason tour of the United States, the Toffees faced Juventus in the International Champions Cup at AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.

Strikes from Kevin Mirallas and Kwadwo Asamoah saw the scores level at 1-1 after 90 minutes.

The normally bet-your-house-that-he-will-score Pirlo missed his penalty, sending it wide.

He up stepped the 19-year-old, who coolly struck a "Panenka" penalty in the sudden-death shootout.

When Tim Howard saved the following attempt by Juve’s Federico Peluso, Everton won 6-5.

Manager Roberto Martinez told the Liverpool Echo, following the win:

"Given his age the way he [Stones] defended against a top class front two was superb. He was full of concentration and on the ball he played with the maturity of a 30-year-old. Then with the penalty it shows you the right kind of arrogance he displayed."

After upstaging the legend that is Pirlo, Stones could be one to watch this season.

Who is your hero and villain of the week? Let us know in the comments box below.