Premier League: 12 Candidates For Player Of The Season So Far

9. Michael Carrick (Manchester United)

A lot of criticism and unfair criticism I hasten to add, has been directed at Michael Carrick in recent years, for his apparently lethargic and anonymous performances in midfield for Manchester United. In fact just last season, he was by no means a regular first teamer in the eyes of Sir Alex Ferguson and he was absent in more than 15 league appearances. Nevertheless, even throughout the dark patches of his career, Carrick's reliability for the Red Devils and pin-point passing in midfield has never been questioned and this season he has finally shown his worth to United fans. He has contributed solid performance after solid performance for United in what has arguably been his season to date at Old Trafford. In fact, he has been as influential as the likes of Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney in building the 12 point gulf at the top of the league, which United have built up. As a result of these much improved performances in the Premier League, a justified resurgence in his international career has ensued, and Carrick has been an active member in England's various friendlies and warm-up matches since the disaster of Euro 2012 and he is likely to feature heavily in the World Cup qualifying campaign.