Tommy Doyle

Doyle sees the pass before it is obviously on, shifting the ball from one side of the pitch to the other with a range that most central midfielders do not have available to them. He controls tempo rather than simply keeping possession ticking over, slowing a move down when the space is not there and speeding it up the moment it opens. That patience was built over years learning the position through loan spells at several different clubs at several different levels.

Coming through one of the most demanding academies in the country set an early standard that took time to be matched by regular first team football elsewhere. The question now is whether he can be the one dictating games rather than simply doing a reliable job inside them. Watch how often his pass actually changes the picture for a teammate, because that separates a tempo setter from a midfielder who is merely tidy.