Ramires (Chelsea)
A player who has continued to grow in stature for Chelsea since joining the club from Benfica as a youngster back in 2010, Ramires is now a vitally important member of the squad for the work he does in their midfield. Although the 26-year-old is arguably more of a box-to-box player than an out-and-out defensive player, his tough tackling and high work rate make him ideally suited to the role just behind the team’s main playmakers. Ramires has the great added bonus of scoring important goals, and has a good return of 26 strikes in his 163 appearances for the club. Real Madrid have recently been linked with a £15m move for him, though there seems little chance that the Blues would sell him for that kind of price now.