David De Gea, Manchester United
With a nod of respect to the likes of Fraser Forster, Joe Hart and Hugo Lloris, this was always a two-horse race and David De Gea beats Thibaut Courtois for the position between the posts. The spindly Spaniard has grown into the position of Manchester United goalkeeper over the past couple of years after a rather shaky start at Old Trafford and has been simply sublime at times this year. There were certain matches earlier in the season that United had no right to take anything from, given the way they were playing at the time, yet still came away with a point or three thanks to this man. His point-blank reaction saves against Stoke back in December are an obvious highlight but he's had a tremendous season and played a major part in helping United get close to achieving their number one objective - a top-four finish.
Nathaniel Clyne, Southampton
After spending large parts of last season warming the Southampton bench, the sale of Callum Chambers to Arsenal in the summer reopened the door for Nathaniel Clyne to return to Saints’ Plan A and he’s grasped the chance with both hands. Picking up two goals and a couple of assists is a reasonable return from right-back but it’s his positional awareness as part of one of the most organised defensive units in the Premier League that has been so impressive. Having gained a first international cap at the end of 2014, he looks sure to be in demand this summer, with Manchester United and Chelsea reportedly among his suitors.
John Terry, Chelsea
Chelsea captain John Terry hasn’t missed a dance this season and remarkably looks as good as ever at the age of 34. There was a spell a couple of seasons ago when his days at the club appeared to be numbered but he’s exactly what every Jose Mourinho side needs at the heart of its defence, a disciplined leader happy to put his body on the line at every sign of danger. His lack of pace these days has been exposed at times but he makes up for that with the manner in which he reads the game.
Jose Fonte, Southampton
Sitting alongside Terry in our team is another man who has proved a fine leader this season. Few would ever have had Fonte down for a contender in this list back in the St Mary's summer sales but the Portuguese's stock has risen considerably since the departure of Dejan Lovren for big money to Liverpool. Fonte has played a chief organising role in the league's joint-tightest defence, while his individual play shows few weakness. Strong in the air and on the deck, you wonder how much Fonte will generate if Lovren could pull in £20million. If could be another battle for Saints to hang onto a star man again this summer.
Aaron Cresswell, West Ham
The £2million signing from Sky Bet Championship side Ipswich may not have been one of last summer's most eye-catching acquisitions, but it has certainly turned out to be one of the shrewdest. The left-back has had little trouble making the jump to Premier League level and instantly established himself as a key part of a Hammers side that sat in a Champions League spot at Christmas. While the Londoners have faded back into mid-table since then, Cresswell has remained a consistent performer and edges out Southampton's Ryan Bertrand in our XI.
Nemanja Matic, Chelsea
The likes of Hazard, Costa and Terry might have generated more headlines and praise for their roles in Chelsea's charge towards the title but the ever-reliable Matic has been as important a cog as any in their team. Claude Makelele was the Blues' defensive shield in the original Jose Mourinho era at Stamford Bridge and Matic performs the role just as well. However, to label him a new Makelele does not do the Serb justice. A ball-winner and game-breaker, Matic also has the tendancies to get forward when he can and in doing so draws comparisons with another Premier League great, Patrick Vieira. Still only 26, Matic still has his best years ahead of him. Europe's biggest clubs could yet come calling but if he does stay it's easy to see him bieng a fixture of the team of the season for years to come.
Eden Hazard, Chelsea
Without question the player of the season in our view and an absolute must for any Premier League XI. After criticising his own team's tactics following the Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid, and attracting apparent interest from French champions Paris Saint-Germain last summer, manager Jose Mourinho suggested Hazard had far from fully realised his potential at Stamford Bridge and the brilliant Belgian has duly taken his form to new levels. For such a tricky player who has been fouled more times than anyone else in the league, it's remarkable to think he has started every single Premier League game for Chelsea and not picked up any serious injuries along the way. Hazard is a joy to watch when in full flight and has provided us with some magical moments this year. It's also worth noting he has never missed a Premier League penalty.
Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal
Akin to the way De Gea saw United through their darker pre-Christmas days, Sanchez ensured Arsenal did not fall too far off the pace when they were struggling for results last autumn. The Chilean bundle of energy bullied defences in that period and pulled his team-mates along with him as goals flowed from his boots. They came in different shapes and sizes - from the stunning volley against Manchester City to the dribble and finish against Hull - but the key was they kept coming with Olivier Giroud absent due to injury. Giroud's return saw Sanchez drop into a slightly deeper role and, perhaps inevitably given his style of play and the fact he played a major role at last summer's World Cup, his level dipped slightly in the second half of the season. However, he's still done more than enough to make our final XI, a fine achievement given this is his first season in the Premier League.
Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea
In a world of statistics, you can rest assured few votes for this team were placed using Opta numbers. Yet, when it comes to Fabregas, one figure stands out a country mile if you can be bothered to look. The Chelsea midfielder's 17 assists are way ahead of any of his rivals and help show what a crucial role he has played for the Blues this season. Jose Mourinho knew what he was getting when he snapped up Fabregas from Barcelona early last summer, the player having already had years in England with Arsenal. However, the way he slotted into the Chelsea side was seemless and he didn't really look back after a dazzling opening-weekend display at Burnley. With the likes of Hazard, Oscar and Willian also at Mourinho's disposal, Fabregas has actually played a deeper role than many would have expected but that simply makes his assists stat even more impressive. He's very good at what he does and we're happy to pick him in our team of the season, even if the PFA were not.
Harry Kane, Tottenham
Harry Kane’s rise to stardom in the space of a year is the stuff of fairytales and his recent goal against Newcastle in the Premier League saw him become the first Tottenham player since Gary Lineker to score 30 in a season. Kane spent time on loan at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich and Leicester as he attempted to break into the first-team picture at White Hart Lane and eventually got his chance towards the end of last season, making his mark in games against Sunderland, West Brom and Fulham. The goals have continued to flow in all competitions this term, initially in the Europa League and then the Premier League. Remarkably Kane did not start a PL game until November but since then his form has been comparable to that of the very best in the league. You will see few better headers than the one which sunk Arsenal in the North London derby, while for a big striker Kane has been excellent with the ball at his feet. The impact he's had was underlined when he scored within 79 seconds of his England debut last month. It's been some season for the 21-year-old.
Diego Costa, Chelsea
Long before Chelsea crashed out of the Champions League at the expense of Atletico Madrid last April, it was clear that Diego Costa was exactly the sort of player the Blues were missing last season and they swiftly secured their man at the start of the summer window. The Brazilian-born Spain striker has rewarded them in spades and as much as the praise has been heaped on Eden Hazard, John Terry and Nemanja Matic, it was Costa who arguably played the biggest role in Chelsea’s phenomenal start. He scored nine goals in their opening seven Premier League games, form that immediately made Chelsea favourites and put their supposed title rivals on the back foot from the off.
Also received votes:
Goalkeepers - Thibaut Courtois, Asmir Begovic, Tom Heaton
Defenders - Cesar Azpilicueta, Seamus Coleman, Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanovic, Toby Alderweireld, Daryl Janmaat, Ryan Bertrand, Pablo Zabaleta
Midfielders - Santi Cazorla, David Silva, Christian Eriksen, Stewart Downing, Jonjo Shelvey, Yannick Bolasie, Phillippe Coutinho, Morgan Schneiderlin, Francis Coquelin
Forwards - Charlie Austin, Sergio Aguero, Olivier Giroud