{"id":1138109,"date":"2020-03-25T13:27:45","date_gmt":"2020-03-25T13:27:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1138109"},"modified":"2020-03-26T11:02:22","modified_gmt":"2020-03-26T11:02:22","slug":"surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\/","title":{"rendered":"Players who proved us wrong across Europe&#8217;s top five leagues this season"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>There is nothing sweeter than redemption. Or should that be revenge? Either way, there are few greater joys in football than a comeback story.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When the chips are down, fans are on your back and the manager has seemingly lost faith, it is easy for a player to rest on his laurels and fall into oblivion.<\/p>\n<p>But there are those who simply crave the spotlight and will allow no obstacle &#8211; age, injury or otherwise &#8211; to hinder their pursuit of perfection.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"background-color: transparent; display: block; padding: 0; max-width: 700px;\" title=\"Audioboom player\" src=\"https:\/\/embeds.audioboom.com\/posts\/7533381\/embed\/v4\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Just look at Jamie Vardy. Many thought the former England international peaked in 2015\/16. But the Leicester marksman has proven the doubters wrong and is currently enjoying the form of his life, all at the ripe old age of 33.<\/p>\n<p>Those lightning legs are still operating at full tilt, and giving fellow pace merchant Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang a run for his money in the Golden Boot race.<\/p>\n<p>Some may have foreseen Vardy&#8217;s goalscoring brilliance this term, though. He did, after all, net 10 goals in his last 11 Premier League appearances last campaign. He&#8217;s simply picked up from where he left off. But, there are a number of would-be write-offs in the summer who have achieved a level of performance few saw coming. Here we look at those players, the ones we had already cast aside and held little hope for. Oh, how they have proven us all wrong!<\/p>\n<h2><strong>1. Nemanja Matic<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1138113 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24110026\/1138109_1138109_PA-49952913.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1478\" height=\"1047\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24110026\/1138109_1138109_PA-49952913.jpg 1478w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24110026\/1138109_1138109_PA-49952913-300x213.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24110026\/1138109_1138109_PA-49952913-1024x725.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24110026\/1138109_1138109_PA-49952913-768x544.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24110026\/1138109_1138109_PA-49952913-66x47.jpg 66w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1478px) 100vw, 1478px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When Man Utd snapped up Matic from Chelsea in 2017, it was seen as an act of self-sabotage from the west London club. Many felt the towering Serb would take up Michael Carrick\u2019s &#8216;quarter-back\u2019 throne at Old Trafford and transform Jose Mourinho\u2019s midfield.<\/p>\n<p>And the two-time Premier League winner did initially show glimmers of his midfield supremacy. It&#8217;s just it soon became apparent he was simply too slow to operate as an effective launch pad for his new team, particularly when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took the reins. The Norwegian espouses a high-pace, counterattacking brand, which is almost diametrically at odds with Matic\u2019s more languid style.<\/p>\n<p>In the absence of both Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay this term, that all changed. The 31-year-old has proven his worth and has been almost revolutionary alongside Fred.<\/p>\n<p>Matic&#8217;s contract was due to expire this summer, but such has been his influence this campaign that the club have since triggered a one-year extension.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>2. Chris Smalling<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_1135233\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/chris-smalling-roma-transfer-saved-his-england-career\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1135233\" class=\"wp-image-1135233 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/05103515\/1135230_1135230_CHRIS-SMALLING.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/05103515\/1135230_1135230_CHRIS-SMALLING.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/05103515\/1135230_1135230_CHRIS-SMALLING-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/05103515\/1135230_1135230_CHRIS-SMALLING-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/05103515\/1135230_1135230_CHRIS-SMALLING-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/05103515\/1135230_1135230_CHRIS-SMALLING-66x37.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/05103515\/1135230_1135230_CHRIS-SMALLING-620x350.jpg 620w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/05103515\/1135230_1135230_CHRIS-SMALLING-940x530.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1135233\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">READ MORE:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/chris-smalling-roma-transfer-saved-his-england-career\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chris Smalling\u2019s Roma transfer may have saved his England career<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>It has been quite the year for Man United castaways. Smalling, the foremost example, was expected to slide into obscurity after having been shown the door at Old Trafford in the summer.<\/p>\n<p>On the contrary, the Roma loanee has excelled in Serie A this season, acclimatising almost seamlessly to Italian football and proving indispensable to Paulo Fonseca\u2019s backline as the Giallorossi chase a top-four finish.<\/p>\n<p>Such has been Smalling\u2019s renaissance in Rome that England manager Gareth Southgate recently floated the prospect of an England recall. Elite clubs like Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal back home have been linked with his signature, too.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>3. Riyad Mahrez<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1138116 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24112528\/1138109_1138109_PA-50800676-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24112528\/1138109_1138109_PA-50800676-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24112528\/1138109_1138109_PA-50800676-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24112528\/1138109_1138109_PA-50800676-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24112528\/1138109_1138109_PA-50800676-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24112528\/1138109_1138109_PA-50800676-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24112528\/1138109_1138109_PA-50800676-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24112528\/1138109_1138109_PA-50800676-66x44.jpg 66w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>More often than not, big-money transfers backfire. Whether it\u2019s the burden of expectation, the weight of a hefty price tag or simply a failure to adapt to new surroundings, there are a number of factors that can stifle a player\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n<p>When Pep Guardiola lured Mahrez to the Etihad for a club-record fee last season, there was an expectation the Algerian would do nothing but flourish under such a revered tactician. Then <em>that<\/em> penalty miss against Liverpool happened, something his maiden campaign will largely be remembered for, and went on to make just 14 Premier League starts. With the extreme depth of talent otherwise available to Guardiola, Mahrez looked destined for a spot at the back of the pecking order.<\/p>\n<p>But he has really come into his own this campaign. With the waning form of Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane\u2019s long-term absence, Mahrez has stepped up and injected new life into Guardiola&#8217;s starting XI. He is now one of the first names on the team sheet. Having set up eight top-flight goals, only Kevin De Bruyne and Trent Alexander-Arnold has more Premier League assists this season.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>4. Adama Traore<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1138117 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24113541\/1138109_1138109_PA-45800171-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1745\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24113541\/1138109_1138109_PA-45800171-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24113541\/1138109_1138109_PA-45800171-300x204.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24113541\/1138109_1138109_PA-45800171-1024x698.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24113541\/1138109_1138109_PA-45800171-768x523.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24113541\/1138109_1138109_PA-45800171-1536x1047.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24113541\/1138109_1138109_PA-45800171-2048x1396.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24113541\/1138109_1138109_PA-45800171-66x45.jpg 66w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Traore was always one of those players who seemed to have bags of potential he wasn&#8217;t quite capable of expressing on a regular basis, instead offering fans a modicum of his talent one week before firing a blank the next. That is certainly not the case now.<\/p>\n<p>He has transformed from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/football\/article-7905265\/JAMIE-REDKNAPP-Nuno-transformed-Adama-Traore-FIFA-pace-merchant-Premiership-powerhouse.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u2018FIFA 20 player\u2019<\/a> &#8211; someone who ranks high in the speed charts &#8211; according to Jamie Redknapp to an &#8220;unplayable&#8221; forward, as described by Jurgen Klopp.<\/p>\n<p>The unique Wolves winger has gone from just one league goal and one assist last campaign, to 11 direct contributions this time round (four goals, seven assists). He is now starting to realise his La Masia potential and is no longer considered a forward with no end product.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>5. Caglar Soyuncu<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1138118 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24115355\/1138109_1138109_PA-49929031-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1811\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24115355\/1138109_1138109_PA-49929031-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24115355\/1138109_1138109_PA-49929031-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24115355\/1138109_1138109_PA-49929031-1024x724.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24115355\/1138109_1138109_PA-49929031-768x543.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24115355\/1138109_1138109_PA-49929031-1536x1086.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24115355\/1138109_1138109_PA-49929031-2048x1449.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24115355\/1138109_1138109_PA-49929031-66x47.jpg 66w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Vardy has been the goalscoring phenom, James Maddison has been the creative catalyst and Kasper Schmeichel has been the safe pair of hands in Leicester\u2019s incredible season, but arguably the fulcrum of Brendan Rodgers&#8217; entire operation is Soyuncu.<\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t exactly plain sailing for\u00a0Soyuncu last season following his \u00a319m switch from SC Freiburg, with a combination of injury complications and work permit issues culminating in what the 23-year-old has since described as an \u201cunlucky situation\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>With just six league starts in 2018\/19 Soyuncu was struggling to adapt to the King Power, but following the departure of Harry Maguire he has flourished in the heart of Leicester\u2019s defence and is now one of the most sought-after centre-backs across Europe.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>6. Lys Mousset<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1138119 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24120133\/1138109_1138109_PA-47886593-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1658\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24120133\/1138109_1138109_PA-47886593-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24120133\/1138109_1138109_PA-47886593-300x194.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24120133\/1138109_1138109_PA-47886593-1024x663.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24120133\/1138109_1138109_PA-47886593-768x497.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24120133\/1138109_1138109_PA-47886593-1536x995.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24120133\/1138109_1138109_PA-47886593-2048x1326.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24120133\/1138109_1138109_PA-47886593-66x43.jpg 66w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When Sheffield United spent \u00a310m to pry Mousset away from Bournemouth, for whom he scored just three league goals across over 50 games, it was considered a gamble. What seems a relatively fee for the Premier League was actually a club record amount for the Blades at the time, after all. But that bit of business has since proven a masterstroke from Chris Wilder and left egg on the face of Eddie Howe &amp; Co.<\/p>\n<p>As joint-top scorer for this season&#8217;s biggest surprise package in the Premier League, the Frenchman has enjoyed a stellar campaign at Bramall Lane so far and become an invaluable cog in Wilder\u2019s well-drilled machine. Meanwhile, the Cherries have struggled for options up front, owing largely to injury problems, and are currently circling the Premier League drain.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>7. Robert Snodgrass<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_1135260\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/robert-snodgrass-west-ham-whipping-boy-hammer-of-the-year-contender\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1135260\" class=\"wp-image-1135260 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/05123034\/1135252_1135252_robert-snodgrass-transformation.jpg\" alt=\"Robert Snodgrass: From West Ham whipping boy to Hammer of the Year contender\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/05123034\/1135252_1135252_robert-snodgrass-transformation.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/05123034\/1135252_1135252_robert-snodgrass-transformation-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/05123034\/1135252_1135252_robert-snodgrass-transformation-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/05123034\/1135252_1135252_robert-snodgrass-transformation-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/05123034\/1135252_1135252_robert-snodgrass-transformation-66x37.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/05123034\/1135252_1135252_robert-snodgrass-transformation-620x350.jpg 620w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/05123034\/1135252_1135252_robert-snodgrass-transformation-940x530.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1135260\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"color: #333333;\">READ MORE:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/robert-snodgrass-west-ham-whipping-boy-hammer-of-the-year-contender\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Robert Snodgrass: From West Ham whipping boy to Hammer of the Year contender<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>When West Ham signed Pablo Fornals in the summer to add to the creative names of Manuel Lanzini, Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson, Snodgrass looked like he would be a spare part in Manuel Pellegrini\u2019s squad.<\/p>\n<p>However, where the above quartet have floundered, Snodgrass has flourished, proving indispensable to Pellegrini during his ill-fated second season and now invaluable to David Moyes.\u00a0He plays with his heart on his sleeve and is a strong favourite to clinch the club\u2019s Hammer of the Year award.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>8. Danny Ings<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1138123 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24121406\/1138109_1138109_PA-50107603.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24121406\/1138109_1138109_PA-50107603.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24121406\/1138109_1138109_PA-50107603-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24121406\/1138109_1138109_PA-50107603-1024x732.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24121406\/1138109_1138109_PA-50107603-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24121406\/1138109_1138109_PA-50107603-1536x1097.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24121406\/1138109_1138109_PA-50107603-66x47.jpg 66w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Ings was always expected to find his feet at Southampton after a torrid time at Anfield, but he has truly amazed and surpassed expectations on the South Coast this campaign. Only Sergio Aguero, Mohamed Salah, Aubameyang and Vardy have netted more than his 15 goals in the Premier League.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, he is directly responsible for 42.9 per cent of the Saints\u2019 league goals this season. Without his contributions in the final third, Ralph Hasenhuttl\u2019s side would be in a much more precarious position than 14th.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>9. Renato Sanches<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1138125 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24121931\/1138109_1138109_PA-50156838-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24121931\/1138109_1138109_PA-50156838-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24121931\/1138109_1138109_PA-50156838-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24121931\/1138109_1138109_PA-50156838-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24121931\/1138109_1138109_PA-50156838-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24121931\/1138109_1138109_PA-50156838-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24121931\/1138109_1138109_PA-50156838-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24121931\/1138109_1138109_PA-50156838-66x44.jpg 66w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When Swansea landed to former Golden Boy recipient on loan from Bayern Munich in 2017\/18, it looked like the signing of the season. Of course, the Portugal international completely flopped in Wales, mistook an advertising board for a teammate and has since admitted he was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/renato-sanches-bayern-munich-swansea-loan-move-forced\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u201cforced\u201d<\/a> to join the club.<\/p>\n<p>So, when Bayern severed ties in the summer and Sanches relocated to Lille, it was either going to be a case of the 22-year-old resurrecting his career, or fading further into irrelevance. Fortunately for football it has been the former this term. Sanches is reinvigorated and playing a key part as Les Dogues&#8217; chase a top four finish in Ligue 1.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>10. Martin Odegaard<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1138126 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24122500\/1138109_1138109_PA-51230383-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24122500\/1138109_1138109_PA-51230383-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24122500\/1138109_1138109_PA-51230383-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24122500\/1138109_1138109_PA-51230383-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24122500\/1138109_1138109_PA-51230383-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24122500\/1138109_1138109_PA-51230383-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24122500\/1138109_1138109_PA-51230383-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24122500\/1138109_1138109_PA-51230383-66x44.jpg 66w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The Norwegian enjoyed loan spells away from Real Madrid in the Netherlands with both Heerenveen and Vitesse, but when he joined Real Sociedad in the summer there were always question marks as to whether he could do it in one of Europe\u2019s top five leagues.<\/p>\n<p>The 21-year-old has answered those questions emphatically by becoming a creative wizard in Imanol Alguacil\u2019s Real Sociedad side, who currently occupy fourth spot in La Liga. Heck, he even scored in Sociedad\u2019s famous 4-3 win over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu earlier this season.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>11. Thibaut Courtois<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1138127 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123013\/1138109_1138109_PA-50889696-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123013\/1138109_1138109_PA-50889696-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123013\/1138109_1138109_PA-50889696-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123013\/1138109_1138109_PA-50889696-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123013\/1138109_1138109_PA-50889696-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123013\/1138109_1138109_PA-50889696-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123013\/1138109_1138109_PA-50889696-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123013\/1138109_1138109_PA-50889696-66x44.jpg 66w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The former Chelsea goalkeeper endured a difficult debut season at Real, with whom his reputation took a battering after a number of high-profile blunders. The result was a decline in popularity among the hyper-critical Bernabeu terraces. However, this season he has rediscovered his Stamford Bridge spark and is proving vital to Zinedine Zidane, who recently described the Belgian as the \u201cbest in the world\u201d. On recent showings, that assessment isn&#8217;t far from the truth.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>12. Ashley Young<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1138130 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123415\/1138109_1138109_PA-50391219-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123415\/1138109_1138109_PA-50391219-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123415\/1138109_1138109_PA-50391219-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123415\/1138109_1138109_PA-50391219-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123415\/1138109_1138109_PA-50391219-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123415\/1138109_1138109_PA-50391219-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123415\/1138109_1138109_PA-50391219-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123415\/1138109_1138109_PA-50391219-66x44.jpg 66w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It would be easy to think that, at 34, this would have been one of Young\u2019s last seasons at the very peak of football, with a move to MLS, West Ham or the Far East on the horizon.<\/p>\n<p>Those destinations can wait, it now seems. The versatile full-back left Old Trafford and secured a regular staring berth in Antonio Conte\u2019s Inter Milan. Such has been the immediate impression he\u2019s imprinted at the San Siro that the club have already activated a one-year extension in his contract.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>13. Mason Holgate<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1138133 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123942\/1138109_1138109_PA-49259320-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1648\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123942\/1138109_1138109_PA-49259320-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123942\/1138109_1138109_PA-49259320-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123942\/1138109_1138109_PA-49259320-1024x659.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123942\/1138109_1138109_PA-49259320-768x494.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123942\/1138109_1138109_PA-49259320-1536x989.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123942\/1138109_1138109_PA-49259320-2048x1318.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24123942\/1138109_1138109_PA-49259320-66x42.jpg 66w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Holgate has admitted that his time at Everton prior to this season had been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skysports.com\/football\/news\/11671\/11944925\/mason-holgate-exclusive-everton-defenders-journey-to-the-cusp-of-the-england-squad\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u201ca bit up and down\u201d<\/a>, but he is now indispensable to Carlo Ancelotti and there has even been talk of an England call-up. Having been sent out on loan to West Brom last campaign, it was looking increasingly likely that Holgate\u2019s future was away from Goodison Park. But having shone in the West Midlands, he has returned to Everton a different beast altogether.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did not know Mason before I came here and I was surprised by him,\u201d Ancelotti told Everton&#8217;s club site just this month. &#8220;He is a complete defender.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>14. Dominic Calvert-Lewin<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1138137 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24124746\/1138109_1138109_PA-50875586-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1722\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24124746\/1138109_1138109_PA-50875586-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24124746\/1138109_1138109_PA-50875586-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24124746\/1138109_1138109_PA-50875586-1024x689.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24124746\/1138109_1138109_PA-50875586-768x517.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24124746\/1138109_1138109_PA-50875586-1536x1033.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24124746\/1138109_1138109_PA-50875586-2048x1378.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24124746\/1138109_1138109_PA-50875586-66x44.jpg 66w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Just like Holgate, Calvert-Lewin has really come into his own this term and has taken to Ancelotti\u2019s tactics like a duck to water. The 23-year-old has always been a hard-worker but that is now starting to translate to goals as well. A new, improved contract followed his 13 strikes in the league this season so far and an England call-up isn\u2019t entirely out of the question for the Sheffield-born marksman, who is now looking like a prolific goalscorer rather than a forward who blows hot and cold in the final third.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There is nothing sweeter than redemption. Or should that be revenge? Either way, there are few greater joys in football than a comeback story. When the chips are down, fans are on your back and the manager has seemingly lost faith, it is easy for a player to rest on his laurels and fall into&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":1138138,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Surprise packages & most improved players: 2019\/20 across Europe's top five leagues","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"There have been a number of players who have shone this season but were written off in the summer \u2014 and we go through them.","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1138109","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.0 (Yoast SEO v28.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Surprise packages &amp; most improved players: 2019\/20 across Europe&#039;s top five leagues<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There have been a number of players who have shone this season but were written off in the summer \u2014 and we go through them.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Players who proved us wrong across Europe&#039;s top five leagues this season\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There have been a number of players who have shone this season but were written off in the summer \u2014 and we go through them.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Squawka | EN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SquawkaFootballNews\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-03-26T11:02:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24125643\/1138109_1138109_PLAYERS-PROVED-WRONG.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@squawka\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ben Green\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7b33a00558813314a222ac17c7bd478c\"},\"headline\":\"Players who proved us wrong across Europe&#8217;s top five leagues this season\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-03-25T13:27:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-03-26T11:02:22+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1876,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/media.squawka.com\\\/images\\\/en\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/24125643\\\/1138109_1138109_PLAYERS-PROVED-WRONG.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Features\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\\\/\",\"name\":\"Surprise packages & most improved players: 2019\\\/20 across Europe's top five leagues\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/media.squawka.com\\\/images\\\/en\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/24125643\\\/1138109_1138109_PLAYERS-PROVED-WRONG.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-03-25T13:27:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-03-26T11:02:22+00:00\",\"description\":\"There have been a number of players who have shone this season but were written off in the summer \u2014 and we go through them.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/media.squawka.com\\\/images\\\/en\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/24125643\\\/1138109_1138109_PLAYERS-PROVED-WRONG.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/media.squawka.com\\\/images\\\/en\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/24125643\\\/1138109_1138109_PLAYERS-PROVED-WRONG.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":675,\"caption\":\"Premier League surprise packages 2019\\\/20 most improved\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Squawka\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Features\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Players who proved us wrong across Europe&#8217;s top five leagues this season\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Squawka | EN\",\"description\":\"Football News, Stats, and More...\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7b33a00558813314a222ac17c7bd478c\",\"name\":\"Ben Green\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/98dc1e5d7313d7da49235400e72d7850602b3c1426a58492e3bbb70f9af27975?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/98dc1e5d7313d7da49235400e72d7850602b3c1426a58492e3bbb70f9af27975?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/98dc1e5d7313d7da49235400e72d7850602b3c1426a58492e3bbb70f9af27975?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Ben Green\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/BenMGreen95\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/author\\\/ben-green\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Surprise packages & most improved players: 2019\/20 across Europe's top five leagues","description":"There have been a number of players who have shone this season but were written off in the summer \u2014 and we go through them.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Players who proved us wrong across Europe's top five leagues this season","og_description":"There have been a number of players who have shone this season but were written off in the summer \u2014 and we go through them.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\/","og_site_name":"Squawka | EN","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SquawkaFootballNews\/","article_modified_time":"2020-03-26T11:02:22+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":675,"url":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24125643\/1138109_1138109_PLAYERS-PROVED-WRONG.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@squawka","twitter_misc":{"Estimated reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\/"},"author":{"name":"Ben Green","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/7b33a00558813314a222ac17c7bd478c"},"headline":"Players who proved us wrong across Europe&#8217;s top five leagues this season","datePublished":"2020-03-25T13:27:45+00:00","dateModified":"2020-03-26T11:02:22+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\/"},"wordCount":1876,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24125643\/1138109_1138109_PLAYERS-PROVED-WRONG.jpg","articleSection":["Features"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\/","url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\/","name":"Surprise packages & most improved players: 2019\/20 across Europe's top five leagues","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24125643\/1138109_1138109_PLAYERS-PROVED-WRONG.jpg","datePublished":"2020-03-25T13:27:45+00:00","dateModified":"2020-03-26T11:02:22+00:00","description":"There have been a number of players who have shone this season but were written off in the summer \u2014 and we go through them.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24125643\/1138109_1138109_PLAYERS-PROVED-WRONG.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/24125643\/1138109_1138109_PLAYERS-PROVED-WRONG.jpg","width":1200,"height":675,"caption":"Premier League surprise packages 2019\/20 most improved"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/surprise-packages-most-improved-players-2019-20-across-europes-top-five-leagues\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Squawka","item":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Features","item":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Players who proved us wrong across Europe&#8217;s top five leagues this season"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/","name":"Squawka | EN","description":"Football News, Stats, and More...","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/7b33a00558813314a222ac17c7bd478c","name":"Ben Green","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/98dc1e5d7313d7da49235400e72d7850602b3c1426a58492e3bbb70f9af27975?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/98dc1e5d7313d7da49235400e72d7850602b3c1426a58492e3bbb70f9af27975?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/98dc1e5d7313d7da49235400e72d7850602b3c1426a58492e3bbb70f9af27975?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Ben Green"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/BenMGreen95"],"url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/ben-green\/"}]}},"yoast_title":"Surprise packages & most improved players: 2019\/20 across Europe's top five leagues","yoast_description":"There have been a number of players who have shone this season but were written off in the summer \u2014 and we go through them.","yoast_keyword":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features\/1138109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/features"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features\/1138109\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1138138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1138109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1138109"},{"taxonomy":"features-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features-category?post=1138109"},{"taxonomy":"squawka-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/squawka-category?post=1138109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}