N.B. We’ve restricted this list to players who have been in and around the Ireland squad in recent months, and have based the ratings relative to the level the individual in question is playing at.
Goalkeepers
Darren Randolph: Was part an unfortunate Middlesbrough side that finished just a point outside the play-offs. Ireland’s number one impressed regardless, earning a spot in the Championship Team of the Year. 9/10
Keiren Westwood: Had a very difficult few months as he was frozen out of the Sheffield Wednesday team by then-manager Jos Luhukay, but regained his place in the side and impressed once Steve Bruce took over. Whether he stays with the Owls remains to be seen, however. His current contract expires this summer, with Huddersfield and Nottingham Forest among the teams linked with the 34-year-old. 8/10
Mark Travers: The 19-year-old was largely unknown until recently and spent time on-loan at non-league outfit Weymouth last season, before signing a long-term contract with Bournemouth in the summer. He has since been called up to the Ireland squad and made two first-team appearances for the Cherries at the end of the season, in games with Spurs and Crystal Palace, earning a man-of-the-match award in the 1-0 win over Mauricio Pochettino’s side. 8/10
Kieran O’Hara: The 23-year-old Man United youngster got some much-needed regular first-team football at Macclesfield amid a successful loan spell. He won the Player of the Year, Players’ Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year for the club, as Sol Campbell’s side just about survived relegation from League Two on the final day. 9/10
Defenders
Seamus Coleman: Took a while to get going amid criticism from fans, and at one stage looked in danger of losing his place in the Everton side, but the Donegal recovered strongly and improved as the season developed. 8/10
Matt Doherty: One of Wolves’ best players amid their memorable first campaign back in the Premier League, with the 27-year-old scoring eight goals and making 50 appearances in all competitions. Not much more could be asked of him. 10/10
Shane Duffy: It’s been well documented that Brighton’s season was less than satisfactory, with the club finishing just two points off the relegation zone and manager Chris Hughton losing his job ultimately. Duffy, however, still managed to perform well under these circumstances, as he was named the club’s Player of the Season. 8/10
Kevin Long: Continues to serve as Burnley’s reserve centre-back behind Ben Mee and James Tarkowski, the 28-year-old made just six appearances in the Premier League for the Clarets, while he hasn’t played at all since their 5-0 FA Cup loss to Man City back in January. 5/10
Richard Keogh: Continues to serve as a role model for young players to aspire to. Keogh lined out for his 600th game in English football back in March, with manager Frank Lampard lauding him as an “incredible professional”. A good season could get even better for the Derby captain if his side manage to overturn a 1-0 play-off deficit against Leeds. 8/10
John Egan: His summer move from Brentford — where he was not always a guaranteed starter — to Sheffield United could hardly have gone much better. The 26-year-old played 47 times in all competitions as the Blades were promoted to the Premier League. 9/10
Ciaran Clark: The 29-year-old made just 11 Premier League appearances for Newcastle, with the last of those coming back on 12 January amid a 2-1 loss to Chelsea in which he scored. Injuries have not helped, while he was also excluded from the most recent Ireland squad. 5/10
Darragh Lenihan: The 25-year-old from Dunboyne was one of the standout players, making 39 appearances and scoring three goals as Blackburn finished 15th amid their first season back in the Championship. 8/10
Enda Stevens: Recently voted Championship Player of the Month, the 28-year-old former Shamrock Rovers player enjoyed a superb campaign as Sheffield United earned promotion by finishing second in the league and gained promotion as a result. 9/10
Greg Cunningham: A disappointing campaign for the 28-year-old Galway native, he made just seven Premier League appearances as his Cardiff team were relegated. 5/10
Cyrus Christie: A relatively healthy tally of 37 appearances in all competitions, though the 26-year-old was in and out of a poor Fulham side, often appearing off the bench for the Premier League strugglers. 6/10
Jimmy Dunne: The Burnley youngster has had a decent spell on loan, initially at Hearts and then Sunderland. The 21-year-old has made 14 appearances for the Black Cats, coming off the bench in their recent play-off semi-final win over Portsmouth. 7/10
Derrick Williams: The 26-year-old was not always a regular in the Blackburn starting XI, featuring 27 times as they finished 15th in the Championship. 6/10
Midfielders
Aiden McGeady: The 33-year-old winger has had a brilliant season in League One with promotion-chasing Sunderland. He made the division’s Team of the Year and was nominated for League One Player of the Season award, losing out to another Irish player, James Collins. 9/10
Alan Judge: The 30-year-old had a frustrating first half of the campaign as he struggled to get into the Brentford team. In January, he joined Ipswich, with his early performances earning him a long-term contract with the Tractor Boys, who suffered the misfortune of being relegated to League One. 7/10
Jeff Hendrick: Played 49 times in all competitions, scoring four goals. The Dubliner helped Burnley secure their Premier League status for another season, having looked in serious danger during a troublesome first half of the campaign. 7/10
Josh Cullen: Spent the season on loan at Charlton from West Ham and was impressive enough to earn an Ireland call-up during that period. He has made 30 appearances in total for the Addicks, and is currently in play-off action, having helped them earn a 2-1 first-leg semi-final win over Doncaster. 7/10
Conor Hourihane: Another excellent season for the Bandon native, who has managed 10 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions including a crucial strike in Aston Villa’s recent play-off first leg victory over West Brom. 8/10
Glenn Whelan: Another solid campaign for the often underappreciated 35-year-old, who has featured 40 times in all competitions for Aston Villa. 7/10
David Meyler: Lost his place early on in the season at struggling Championship outfit Reading. The 29-year-old joined Coventry in January, making five appearances for the Sky Blues before suffering a shoulder injury that ruled him out for the rest of an ill-fated campaign. 5/10
Alan Browne: Managed an impressive tally of 12 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions for Preston, though manager Alex Neil recently suggested he needed to add more consistency to his game. 8/10
Shaun Williams: Aside from a period where he was out injured for over a month around the midway point of the season, the 32-year-old Dubliner was a regular in a Millwall side that finished just four points above the Championship relegation zone. Though as bad as the team invariably were overall, Williams was statistically one of the league’s top performers. 8/10
Harry Arter: The 29-year-old midfielder spent the season on loan at Cardiff, having been deemed surplus to requirements at Bournemouth. He made 25 appearances for the Welsh team but could not prevent their demotion to the Championship. With his loan spell now over, a report in the Irish Independent has suggested he could be set for a move to Fulham, where his brother-in-law, Scott Parker, was recently named permanent manager after impressing in the role on an interim basis. 6/10
Robbie Brady: It’s been a tough season for the 27-year-old Dubliner, who made his first appearance for Burnley in October after coming back from a long-term injury. In total, he has started just six Premier League games all season, with Sean Dyche using him from the bench more often than not. 5/10
Callum O’Dowda: An encouraging campaign for the 24-year-old, who has been linked with a Premier League move on the back of some eye-catching performances for Brsitol City, who just missed out on the Championship play-offs. In total this season, O’Dowda has managed five goals in 40 appearances, though an injury suffered in March prematurely ended his season. 7/10
James McClean: Had a decent first season at Stoke, and made 50 appearances in all competitions amid a campaign that was sadly overshadowed at times by the disgraceful sectarian abuse he received. 7/10
Daryl Horgan: Didn’t have the best of starts at Hibernian as he struggled to earn a regular place in the side, however the Galway native improved as the season developed, memorably scoring twice in the Edinburgh derby. 7/10
Attackers
Shane Long: Struggled for form and confidence at times, though continued to show admirable endeavour throughout. He was ultimately rewarded for his persistence. Having managed one goal in 21 appearances for a struggling Southampton side, he hit four goals in five games last month to help secure the club’s safety. Whether the 32-year-old sticks around for another season at St Mary’s, however, remains to be seen, with his future currently uncertain. 7/10
Sean Maguire: A frustrating campaign for the former Cork City striker. Preston’s Maguire scored just three goals in 30 appearances in all competitions, with injury problems hampering his progress at times. 6/10
Ronan Curtis: The 23-year-old has performed exceptionally since joining Portsmouth from Derry City at the beginning of the season, with his 12 goals helping guide Pompey to the League One play-offs. 8/10
Scott Hogan: After not getting much of a look in at Aston Villa, Hogan joined Sheffield United on loan in January, scoring twice in eight appearances for the Blades, though one of those efforts helped effectively seal their promotion. It remains to be seen whether he will return next season for their Premier League campaign. 5/10
James Collins: The League One Player of the Year, Collins’ 25 goals were vital in helping Luton gain promotion. The 28-year-old was deservedly called up to the Ireland and you couldn’t ask much more from him in what was a dream campaign. 10/10
David McGoldrick: Made a remarkable recovery having been released by Ipswich last summer. Having impressed on a trial with Sheffield United, he joined the club and ultimately scored 15 goals as the Blades were promoted from the Championship. 9/10
Aiden O’Brien: Scored just five goals in 47 appearances for Millwall amid a difficult campaign for the club in which they came close to relegation, while O’Brien was not always a regular starter at the Den. 5/10
Callum Robinson: Injury problems prevented Robinson from reaching his full potential this season, but the attacker still managed to finish the campaign as Preston’s top scorer with 13 goals in 34 appearances. 8/10
Padraig Amond: Excelled in the FA Cup once again and has 23 goals in all competitions. He could yet to be part of a successful Newport promotion after helping them beat Mansfield on penalties in the play-off semi-final on Sunday. 9/10
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