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Jermaine Jenas exclusive: My Premier League alternative team of the year

Yahoo Sport's global football ambassador Jermaine Jenas offers a second XI of players who did not make the PFA list

Jermaine Jenas exclusive: My Premier League alternative team of the year

The PFA team of the season announced this week was a tasty looking line-up, but I think there are some players who were unlucky to miss out. I've brought together those players, plus some other unsung heroes from this campaign, to create my alternative team of the season. Here's my best of the rest:

Formation: 4-3-3

Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham)

Hugo has been pivotal to what Spurs have done this year. They've got the best defensive record in the league and a lot of that is down to the insurance he gives them at the back. He's probably Tottenham's best keeper since Pat Jennings and I think he was very unfortunate to miss out to David de Gea. The fact is, playing for Man Utd the Spaniard gets more opportunities to make saves, but Lloris has been just as good when called upon.

Right-back: Danny Simpson (Leicester)

A very underrated player. We were together at QPR when Rangers accepted a bid from Leicester for him, and I remember how surprised and disappointed Simmo was that he was no longer wanted at Loftus Road. But he's a manager's dream because he's guaranteed to give you nothing less than a seven out of 10 every single week. He's also a rare breed in the modern game because he's a full-back who doesn't like attacking; he just absolutely loves defending - it's an art form he takes very seriously. He has taken less plaudits than anyone in the Foxes team, but it's his solidity on the right that has allowed Riyad Mahrez to do whatever he wants, without worrying about defending.

Left-back: Aaron Cresswelll (West Ham)

He reminds me of Leighton Baines at his peak, in terms of the quality he provides on that left flank. He has adapted seamlessly since he came up from the Championship two seasons ago, and I don't remember him ever getting destroyed by a winger. He's so comfortable on the ball, and the goal he recently scored against Leicester highlighted his technical ability. There are a lot of good English left-backs around, but Cresswell just seems to get better and better and an international call-up can't be far away.

Centre-back: Daley Blind

It's been a tough season for Manchester United but the versatile Dutchman has been a model of consistency at the back, whether playing in the centre or on the left. People often think they can physically expose him but he never allows that; he's too clever. Often it seems as if he is almost dictating United's play from centre-back. That just shows you how good he is on the ball, but he also proved this year that he is equally good at defending.

Centre-back: Virgil van Dijk (Southampton)

First and foremost, he's got a presence about him. He's big, physical and good in the air, but he also has good feet. Essentially, he has every attribute to be a top, top centre-half. Without wanting to sound disrespectful, you do sometimes wonder if a player coming down from the Scottish league will be able to handle quality of the Premier League, but he has taken to it like a duck to water. I wouldn't be surprised if the likes of Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea go for him in the summer. He's shown enough this year to indicate he can play at the very top.

Jermaine Jenas's alternative Premier League team of the year
Jermaine Jenas's alternative Premier League team of the year

Midfield: Mark Noble (West Ham)

He has stepped up a notch this season, something he has openly attributed to playing with better players - and those team-mates seem to respect him a lot. It's not easy staying that focused when you've been at the same club for so long. In fact, even for him to keep his place in the West Ham team has been an achievement because the squad has improved massively, but so has he.

Midfield: Danny Drinkwater (Leicester)

It's a rarity for teams these days to play just two in midfield, especially when they have out-and-out wingers as Leicester do. Playing in a two, you're expected to attack as well as defend. But we seem to have taken that dual responsibility away from a lot of midfielders because everyone plays 4-2-3-1, so the deeper midfielders can sit back and rely on the more advanced midfielder to do the creative stuff. But Leicester's pairing don't have that luxury. Claudio Ranieri demands more work from them in attack and defence and Drinkwater has delivered week-in, week-out. His range of passing in particular seems to have improved enormously.

Midfield: Mousa Dembele (Tottenham)

Speaking as a fellow central midfielder, I am awe of some of the things this guy can do. He's an exceptionally talented player and the way he just glides past people or outmuscles them is jaw-dropping sometimes. Spurs have been waiting for him to kick on for a few years, and even this season he has had a few injury niggles, but he has also been a massive part of Tottenham's success.

Attack: Marko Arnautovic (Stoke)

He seemed a bit of a luxury man in his first couple of seasons at Stoke. You could see he had quality, but sometimes he looked too lethargic and didn't deliver enough. But this season Mark Hughes has put the Austrian on the left of a front three and brought out the best in him. There was one stage of the season where he was electric, providing goals, assists and immense quality in those wide areas. He seems to be umming and arring about his contract situation at the Britannia Stadium and if he leaves it would be a massive loss to Stoke.

Attack: Kevin de Bruyne (Man City)

His injury was probably what dashed his chances of making the PFA team, but that lay-off demonstrated just how important he is to Manchester City. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever seen the absence of a single player have such an effect on a team. I watched him at Werder Bremen and at Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, and I have to admit he is a lot better than I thought he was. He looked to me like a shot-happy kind of player - the sort that scores goals purely because they have so many attempts. But he's so much more than that, and there isn't a player I've enjoyed watching more this season. He's absolutely phenomenal and he takes City to another level.

Attack: Sergio Aguero (Man City)

I am absolutely shocked that he didn't make the team of the year, or the PFA top six. I know it's a competitive field, but Kun Aguero remains one of the true world-class players in the league. He scores 20-plus goals every year, without fail, despite suffering injuries. City have struggled this season, but once again it's Aguero's goals that have got them out of trouble. I thought it was disgraceful he didn't make the PFA team, and it's a travesty he has never won the player of the year award.