UEFA Nations League finals - four Englishmen among top ten players

With the Nations League finals kicking off in Portugal on Wednesday we run through the ten top rated players selected for duty from Europe’s top five leagues last season.

10. Joao Cancelo (Portugal) - Rating 7.20

Given the competition for the right-back berth with Portugal, with neither Ricardo Pereira or Cedric Soares making Fernando Santos’ Nations League squad, Cancelo looks set to get the nod over Nelson Semedo this summer. The 25-year-old enjoyed an impressive first season with Juventus, particularly in the first half of the season, completing 2.8 dribbles per 90 - second most of all Serie A players to start at least 20 matches - at an impressive 71.8 per cent success rate.

9. Bernardo Silva (Portugal) - Rating 7.26

Following a superb second season at Manchester City, Bernardo Silva has undoubtedly stepped up as the man to carry the hopes of Portugal’s international future once Cristiano Ronaldo hangs up his boots. The 24-year-old midfielder played a prominent role in City’s successful title defence, scoring seven and assisting seven Premier League goals, with his work in and out of possession winning unrivalled praise from Pep Guardiola at the club.

8. Fabian Schar (Switzerland) - Rating 7.30

It was an excellent first season in England for Schar, whose impact on Newcastle’s performances and results was clear to see. The centre-back scored four times in his 22 league starts, ending on the winning team 11 times and winning six WhoScored.com man of the match awards in the process. The Magpies won just one of the remaining 16 matches by comparison, with the defender averaging 5.7 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes combined.

7. Memphis Depay (Netherlands) - Rating 7.34

From an attacking standpoint there is no question that Memphis is the talisman of an exciting young Dutch side, flourishing when pulling on the famous Oranje shirt under Ronald Koeman. From a club career standpoint the forward finished a second successive Ligue 1 season in double figures for both goals and assists at Lyon, though tallies of 10 apiece represented something of a step backwards from a superb 2017/18 campaign.

6. Trent Alexander-Arnold (England) - Rating 7.36

Having become the youngest player to feature in back-to-back Champions League finals, Alexander-Arnold got his hands on the trophy at the second time of asking, marking his phenomenal rise to this point. The 20-year-old ended the Premier League campaign with the most ever assists in a single season by a defender in the division, with 12, and will compete with Kyle Walker for a start in the coming days.

5. Harry Kane (England) - Rating 7.38

The fact that a 17-goal haul, having missed ten matches through injury, was Kane’s worst ever in a full Premier League season may be slightly concerning but also highlights just how consistently prolific the striker has been for the last five years. The Spurs star didn’t look match fit during the Champions League final, however, and may well be rested for Thursday’s semi-final against Netherlands and saved for the weekend - whether that’s a third place play-off or the final.

4. Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands) - Rating 7.44

One of the men responsible for keeping Kane and co. quiet in Madrid, while Van Dijk will only be meeting up with the rest of the Netherlands squad today he is unlikely to be left out of the meeting with England. The growing consensus that the Liverpool colossus is now the very best centre-back in the business was supported by the highest WhoScored.com rating of any player in his position in Europe’s top five leagues last season, helping the Reds to 20 clean sheets.

3. Jadon Sancho (England) - Rating 7.52

In what was a truly remarkable breakthrough season at Borussia Dortmund, starting just seven league matches prior to the 2018/19 campaign, Sancho looks ready to nail down a regular starting spot for England at the age of just 19. The highest rated teenager in Europe’s top five leagues inspired BVB to an ultimately failed title bid with 12 goals and 14 assists having started just 26 of 34 Bundesliga appearances. As well as having a direct hand in a goal every 95 minutes the winger completed a league high of 4.1 dribbles per 90 minutes.

2. Raheem Sterling (England) - Rating 7.61

It’s fair to say England’s wingers are among the most exciting in world football right now, with Raheem Sterling having enjoyed another superb season of progression at Manchester City. The 24-year-old scored 25 goals in all competitions for the treble winners - 17 of which came in the Premier League - and was one of only seven players to reach double figures for assists in England’s top-flight.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) - Rating 7.68

Returning to the international scene having played no part in Portugal’s progression to the Nations League finals, Ronaldo does so having fired Juventus to yet another Serie A title following his first season in Italy. In 31 league appearances the 34-year-old scored 21 goals and registered a further eight assists, while completing more dribbles per 90 minutes than any of his final three seasons in Madrid.