Nathan Collins

Collins plays the position with a rare consistency, rarely missing games through injury or loss of form and organising the defensive line with an authority that looks unusual for someone who arrived in the Premier League only a few years ago. He can play in a back three or a back four, and he can fill in at full back too, giving a manager options without sacrificing the reliability that makes him a first name on the team sheet.

He was made captain of his country at a young age, which tells you how coaches and teammates already rated his temperament long before he had built up a long career. Leading a defence is as much about communication as it is about defending itself, organising the players around him before a situation becomes dangerous rather than reacting once it already has. Whether that same calm authority translates into silverware is the part supporters are still waiting to find out.