AND HERE’S MY TEAM OF THE SEASON... WITH TWO STOKE PLAYERS!

GK: DAVID DE GEA

I nearly picked Fraser Forster. I have him on Fantasy Manager and he’s won me a load of points! I was so sorry to hear about his injury. David de Gea is a great friend — I have known him since the early youth groups with Spain. He is enjoying one of the best seasons I have seen from a keeper.

RB: NATHANIEL CLYNE

Fast, direct and athletic. I like watching him go forward and he won’t let you down defensively. He has been a major part of Southampton’s excellent season.

CB: JOHN TERRY

It hasn’t been a great season for centre backs but Terry is still a really tough opponent. When we played against Chelsea just before Christmas, I was impressed by the way Jose Mourinho organised his defence. He put Nemanja Matic and John Mikel Obi on me. It limited the space and made things difficult, plus they had that really strong defence behind. Mourinho is very intelligent in this way.

CB: RYAN SHAWCROSS

He is a very strong defender and is a seriously tough opponent in training. He has a strong character. He has a great personality and is a real leader in the dressing room. He can play at a very high level.

LB: BRANISLAV IVANOVIC

My dad is from Serbia and still keeps a close eye on their players. We both admire Ivanovic who has a habit of scoring big goals in big games. I know he plays mainly on the right but I want him in the team.

RM: ALEXIS SANCHEZ

Unfortunately I never got the chance to play with Alexis at Barcelona. He has had a really impressive first season and will only get better. He possesses star quality.

CM: STEVEN NZONZI

A player I rate really highly. A brilliant midfielder in the modern game. Physically strong and tactically and technically sharp. He can control a midfield and conduct our performances. I love playing with him.

CM: SANTI CAZORLA (below)

In Arsenal’s 2-0 win against Manchester City, his was a wonderful performance. His movement is good, he can battle, and his passing is as good as anybody’s. Spanish players here have a really strong relationship with supporters. You see Juan Mata and Ander Herrera at Manchester United, David Silva at City — the fans love them — and the Stoke fans have been so warm towards me. It is because we have the character of fighters and feel a responsibility to please supporters.

LM: EDEN HAZARD

He is getting better and better. His dribbling is amazing and he is adding more goals to his game. A really special player.

CF: SERGIO AGUERO

The best out and out forward around. He’s explosive, skilful, a great dribbler and has a powerful shot.

CF: HARRY KANE

Diego Costa imposes his character on every game. His goalscoring record is great and Chelsea have improved with him. However, I didn’t know too much about Harry Kane before this season but he has been amazing. He scores every week! It is great to see an English player doing so well and it has been one of the season’s great stories.