Top 15 Most Improved Players in World Football This Season
In this slideshow we take a look at some of the most improved performers of the season so far.
Over the summer, who knew that we'd soon be singing the praises of Stewart Downing with West Ham, drooling over a Serie A goal from AC Milan's Jeremy Menez or nodding approvingly at the re-emergence of Adam Maher at PSV Eindhoven?
You'll find all three over the following pages, joined by 12 more European-based players who we've been rather shocked to be applauding this term.
To be considered for inclusion, these players must have given us reason in 2013/14 or earlier to doubt that they would be key men for their respective sides this season, and they must have shown marked improvement so far during the current campaign.
Arranged in an order that best reflects how far they've come, you'll find the most improved player coming in at No. 1.
15. Iker Casillas
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After being sidelined by Jose Mourinho in 2012/13, Iker Casillas failed to get his place back as undisputed No. 1 with Real Madrid last term—the Spaniard appearing in just one La Liga outing all season.
Casillas did feature in cup competition, and he lifted both the Copa del Rey and Champions League with Real Madrid at the end of 13/14. However, the keeper also made several high-profile gaffes with club and country that led many to wonder if his time at the top was over.
At fault for Atletico Madrid's opening goal in last season's Champions League final and with a string of mistakes that contributed to Spain's disastrous World Cup campaign and subsequent early exit, the future did not look rosy for the 33-year-old just months ago.
Now, the outlook looks markedly better. Reinstated as first-choice keeper by Carlo Ancelotti, Casillas has appeared in nine out of a potential 11 league outings, with just two of them defeats. On the European front, Casillas has played every minute of every game in the Champions League this season, where the hunt for Madrid's 11th title is very much on.
As the World Cup winner recently told The Guardian's Sid Lowe:
"I'll play for Spain until 2016 at least, for sure. After that, we'll see. And [for Madrid] I think I can play until I'm 40.
If your head and body are fine, you can do it. And if you’re happy, if you have got a target, you never have a reason to go anywhere else. I'm happy. We waited a decade for the 10th. Now we’re thinking about the 11th. And we've got the team for that, so why not?
"
14. Morgan Schneiderlin
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After failing to secure a move away from Southampton over the summer, it was unclear as to whether Morgan Schneiderlin would try to recapture his impressive form of recent seasons this term.
Despite having three years left on his contract, the French midfielder responded to news that he would not be allowed to follow Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw, Calum Chambers and Dejan Lovren out of the St. Mary's exit with a Twitter message that read, "6 years of an amazing journey #saintsfc DESTROYED in 1 hour !!!"
In an interview with France Football (h/t ESPNFC.com) the 25-year-old admitted that he told Southampton, "You don't respect me and you don't respect your words, you treat me like cattle."
Following his offseason outburst, the defensive midfielder admitted that the Saints fans convinced him not to go on strike at the start of the 2014/15 campaign. As told to France Football (h/t Dominic Fifield in The Guardian), he said:
"I started training, I tried enjoying my football again and I was made to play against Liverpool on the opening day. At Anfield all the Southampton fans applauded me and chanted my name. That warmed my heart. I knew then that I would spend the season here.
"
It's been a surprise to see a relaxed, happy Schneiderlin take to the field for Ronald Koeman's side this season, where he has played every minute of every Premier League game for an outfit who currently sit second in the table, with the best defensive record in the league.
13. Joleon Lescott
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All-too-familiar with warming the Manchester City bench, it came as no surprise to see Joleon Lescott leaving the Etihad over the summer.
The former Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton defender had appeared in just 10 Premier League games under Manuel Pellegrini, who took over at City in 2013.
He was fast becoming a forgotten man.
A free transfer to West Bromwich Albion has revitalised Lescott, who has played every minute of the Baggies' last seven games, since recovering from a preseason injury.
West Brom have lost just two fixtures since then and have kept three clean sheets.
Dropped by England, out of favour with Manchester City and allowed to leave for nothing, Lescott is proving his doubters wrong—he can still cut it at the top level.
12. Nani
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In his last two seasons with Manchester United, Nani appeared in just 22 top-flight games, with recurring injuries forcing him onto the sidelines and down the Old Trafford pecking order.
Still on the payroll with United, the 28-year-old—who is a Champions League and four-time winner of the Premier League with the Manchester club—joined former side Sporting Clube de Portugal on a season-long loan in August, in a bid to get his career back on track.
Lunging tackles at Angel Di Maria aside, Nani has impressed.
The winger has scored twice in the league and produced a further three assists, and he has slotted away three goals plus an assist in four outings in the Champions League.
Nani appears to have redeemed himself to such an extent that United are considering recalling him early from the Estadio Jose Alvalade, according to recent rumours reported by Ben Jefferson in the Express.
11. Victor Moses
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While there is still a long way to go, Victor Moses has been impressing at Stoke City, where he is on loan from Chelsea.
Last season the Nigeria international struggled to get much time on the pitch in a loan spell with Liverpool. In total, the 23-year-old managed just six starts under Brendan Rodgers, with 13 of his 19 appearances as a substitute in the Premier League.
This term, after recovering from a thigh injury, Moses has started all nine games in the top flight, where he has brought much-needed attacking flair to Mark Hughes' Stoke side and has registered five assists and one goal in all competitions for the Potters.
Like Ryan Bertrand, who we cover later in this slideshow, Moses' career has stuttered as a result of his limited playing time with Chelsea. Following a disappointing campaign at Anfield last term, it looks like things are finally looking up for the winger, who won the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria in 2013.
10. Keisuke Honda
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There was an enormous amount of pressure on Keisuke Honda when he signed for AC Milan last January. Handed the Rossoneri's No. 10 shirt and with the team struggling for results in Serie A, much was expected of the Japanese international.
"I understand there are high expectations and I have got to show what I am capable of, to score many goals, provide assists. I will do my best," Honda told ACMilan.com upon his arrival.
It took a while for Honda to acclimatise to life in Italy, after making the switch from CSKA Moscow, and the 28-year-old only managed to register one goal and two assists in 14 Serie A games.
This season, under Filippo Inzaghi, he has hit the ground running with six goals and two assists coming in the first 11 ties of the 2014/15 campaign. Settled at the San Siro, there should be a lot more to come from Honda at AC Milan.
9. Marouane Fellaini
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The top causes for accidental injury happening in the home are normally reserved for things like falling down the stairs or skidding on a wet floor.
This season, Marouane Fellaini's form for Manchester United could be added to that list, as we're sure people have fallen off the couch or suffered whiplash-like injuries when doing a double-take at a Fellaini backheel-flicked pass or a goal (a goal!) for Louis van Gaal's side.
Fellaini—whose £27.5 million move to United in summer 2013 caused a lot of head scratching—is having a much better time of things in 2014/15.
After returning from injury to face former side Everton on October 5, the Belgian has played a part in every League game since, clocking up a full 90 minutes in United's last three outings.
He scored against West Brom in a 2-2 draw, caused problems for league leaders Chelsea in a 1-1 at Old Trafford and made a general nuisance of himself in subsequent games against Manchester City and Crystal Palace.
The season is still young, but it looks like the player we saw at Everton may be making a comeback.
8. Ryan Bertrand
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Almost anyone connected with Southampton can lay claim to feeling redeemed this season—the side touted by so many at the start of the 2014/15 campaign as favourites to be drawn into a relegation scrap after a number of senior players departed over the summer.
Ryan Bertrand, currently on loan at St. Mary's, is one such player whose stock is on the rise.
The Chelsea left-back, who is on his seventh loan in eight years, arrived at the club with much to prove after a disappointing spell with Aston Villa last term.
Brought in to replace club-grown wunderkind Luke Shaw, eyebrows were raised as to whether the 25-year-old would be able to match the performances of the £30 million teen.
He has, and as it stands, Ronald Koeman's side boasts the best defence in the Premier League, with only five goals conceded in 11 fixtures. Bertrand has played every minute of every game, looking defensively strong and also getting forward, where he has bagged one goal and one assist so far this term.
With a total of just 28 top-flight appearances for Chelsea since his promotion to the senior squad in 2006, perhaps Bertrand has found the right club at last.
7. Adam Maher
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Before signing for PSV Eindhoven at the age of 19, Adam Maher was being tipped to be Holland's next big thing.
The former AZ Alkmaar midfielder signed for Phillip Cocu's side on the back of an outstanding 2012/13 season—one in which he scored 10 and assisted 10 (in all competitions) and won his first senior international call-up.
The move to the Philips Stadion saw his form dip and his game time become limited, and he managed a much smaller return of four goals and one assist.
As reported by Michael Bell on Footballoranje.com:
"Maher was unable to express himself on the pitch, and it was off it where he seemed to be gaining the most headlines after re-tweeting a comment on twitter criticising his teammate Ola Toivonen, who had been picked in the starting eleven ahead of the youngster. The midfielder was then forced to deny claims of unfaithfulness to his girlfriend after being caught in a compromising position with another women inside his car by a Dutch magazine.
"
Now 21 and in his second term with PSV, it looks like Maher is recapturing the form that he displayed while at the AFAS Stadion.
He has appeared in all but one Eredivisie fixture, weighing in with six goals and two assists in 11 games. He has also added another one of each in the Europa League, where he has featured in every game for PSV so far this season.
Definitely one to watch, Maher could find himself back in the Netherlands setup before long.
6. Nacer Chadli
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Nacer Chadli arrived at Tottenham Hotspur in summer 2013, along with a host of other names who were shipped in as Gareth Bale prepared for departure from White Hart Lane.
Like a great many of his fellow new recruits, the former FC Twente winger did little to impress in his first season, with one goal and three assists his only return. Fifteen times in the starting XI, Chadli completed a full 90 minutes on just six occasions throughout the top-flight campaign.
Just months after putting pen to paper with Spurs, there were rumours that the 25-year-old could be on his way out of north London in a bid to keep his place in Belgium's World Cup squad.
As Chadli's representative, Daniel Evrard, told the London Evening Standard (h/t Sky Sports):
"His situation is not easy at Tottenham at the moment. The World Cup is arriving so it's a problem. For him to play at the World Cup it's important so why not a loan? We haven't spoken to Tottenham yet but I know there are clubs interested in him.
Nacer had to play in a role which doesn't suit him. They wanted him to play on the left wing and he is not exactly a winger - he prefers to play through the middle.
It's very difficult for him because we've not seen the best of him at Tottenham. He has big potential so he is a little bit frustrated.
"
Fast-forward to November 2014, and Chadli is one of Spurs' most improved players under manager Mauricio Pochettino, who has been at the helm of the club since May. The Belgian is also their top scorer in the Premier League, with six goals registered so far this season.
5. Dimitri Payet
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Over the summer, it was rumoured that Olympique Marseille were ready to offload Dimitri Payet, with Premier League sides Arsenal, Newcastle and West Ham all linked with the 27-year-old, according to Alex Richards in the Mirror.
Payet had only moved to Marseille a year previously but, as noted by Richards, L'OM were eager to get rid of the Frenchman in "a cut-price £6 million move."
Last term, the midfielder was used primarily on the wing by former boss Elie Baup and caretaker manager Jose Anigo, taking in 36 Ligue 1 appearances and scoring eight times. However, Payet completed just nine 90-minute games, which left him far from making it into the French squad for the 2014 World Cup.
Payet told L'Equipe (h/t Sky Sports): "I'm being pushed out of the club, but I can understand that. There is an economic reality behind that. My first season was average."
Payet did not leave the Stade Velodrome over the summer, and this season, like many of his team-mates, he is flourishing under new boss Marcelo Bielsa.
Deployed in his favoured attacking-midfield position, Payet has been in L'OM's starting XI for 12 of their 13 fixtures in Ligue 1, has bagged three goals and three assists and has earned a recall to Didier Deschamps' national side.
4. Jeremy Menez
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Out in the cold at Paris Saint-Germain, a Jeremy Menez exit was expected at the Parc des Princes over the summer.
The 27-year-old, who was handed just seven starts in Ligue 1 last term, made the switch to AC Milan in July on a free transfer, and already it looks like a great piece of business by the Italian club.
Menez settled straight into life at the San Siro, registering three goals and two assists in the first two games of the season, including this glorious backheel in a 5-4 win against Parma. Since then, he has gone on to feature in every Serie A tie and, in his most recent outing, added another goal and an assist against Sampdoria in a 2-2 draw.
The Frenchman recently told RTL (h/t ESPNFC.com) that he hopes his form for the Rossoneri will earn him a call-up to Didier Deschamps' France squad:
"When I signed for Milan, it was to relaunch my career with Les Bleus. The France team is close to my heart. I have not had the opportunity to talk directly with Didier Deschamps. However, I know he knows me. Each international break, I want to be there. I think the coach is watching me; it's up to me to prove that I can come back.
"
3. Javier Pastore
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In 2011, Javier Pastore swapped Palermo for Paris Saint-Germain for a record £37 million, as seen on BBC Sport.
In recent years, the memories of why PSG paid such a hefty sum for the Argentinian midfielder had begun to fade. However, this season Pastore has nailed down his place in Laurent Blanc's side, and again, he looks the part.
Still only 25, Pastore is already close to reaching last year's tally of 18 starts in Ligue 1 (he is currently on 12), and he's a part of a PSG side who are yet to be beaten this season.
In addition, the Argentinian has played a part in each of PSG's Champions League group-stage fixtures in Group F and has seen himself return to the international fold for the first time since 2011, in friendlies against Brazil, Hong Kong, Croatia (on the bench) and Portugal.
2. Gylfi Sigurdsson
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After just 11 games, it looks like Gylfi Sigurdsson is going to be one of the players of the 2014/15 Premier League campaign.
Signed by Swansea City over the summer, the midfielder's seven assists are bettered by only Cesc Fabregas in the top flight, where Sigurdsson has also registered two goals this term.
It's the Iceland international's second stint at the Liberty Stadium, where he was on loan for six months in 2012.
In the interim period, the 25-year-old has spent two seasons with Tottenham Hotspur—a largely frustrating time where he was often deployed on the wing and prevented from being truly creative, which is what he does best. The scintillating form of Gareth Bale, top goalscorer and chief set-piece taker, did little to help in Sigurdsson's first season at White Hart Lane, as did the influx of a number of new players in his second.
Under Garry Monk at Swansea, Sigurdsson has been given the No. 10 role. He's the side's key creative force, and the Swans have been reaping the rewards.
On the international front, he has been just as influential—bagging four goals in Iceland's last four European qualifiers.
One of the signings of the season, Sigurdsson is a player truly revitalised by his summer switch.
1. Stewart Downing
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Little did we know that Stewart Downing would be receiving such rapturous praise and a recall to the England squad, when the 2014/15 season kicked off.
A raft of summer signings at Upton Park and a move from the wing into a more central midfield position has seen Downing become one of the most surprising performers of the current campaign.
Beaten just three times in the top flight, Downing has been an ever-present for Sam Allardyce's team this term, where he has scored twice and registered four assists in 11 games. Playing behind new arrivals— strikers Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho—the Englishman is currently one of the biggest chance-creators in the division.
At the age of 30, the former Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and Liverpool man has a new lease of life.
