Tony Cascarino has included Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger in his Premier League team of the season.
Rudiger, 28, was massively struggling for minutes in the first half of the season.
However, the Germany international has been reborn since Thomas Tuchel took charge midway through the campaign, and the £29million (BBC) star has been back to his very best.
He’s a powerhouse defender that has slotted so effortlessly into the back three as the left-sided centre-back, becoming so vital to the way Tuchel sets up.
Rudiger’s got the technique and composure to play a possession-based game, but he combines that so well with aggression when it comes to his defending.
Pundit and ex-Chelsea forward Cascarino has given a glowing verdict on how much he rates the “brilliant” defender.
“He was in and out of the team in the early months but he has been brilliant in the second part of the season. He doesn’t mind booting the ball into touch but also loves carrying the ball forward,” Cascarino wrote in The Times.
The Chronicle View
If you look at Rudiger when he’s in his best form, he’s one of the best centre-halves in the entire Premier League.
It might be a stretch too far to put him in a team of the season considering he only played 19 league matches, but it goes to show how good he’s been of late.
If Chelsea are to pull off an upset by beating Manchester City in this weekend’s FA Cup final, they are going to need Rudiger at his very best throwing his body on the line in defence.
Chelsea’s experienced defensive options in Rudiger, Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta certainly make a huge difference.
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