Sky Sports pundit and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has named two Southampton defenders and a Sunderland player in his team of the season so far.
With the Premier League approaching the halfway stage Carragher was asked to choose his best XI of the season so far in his role as pundit on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.
Many of the big names you would expect to see were present such as Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, David Luiz and Diego Costa while Kevin De Bryne, Adam Lallana and Alexis Sanchez also made the Liverpool legend’s cut.
Southampton’s Virgil Van Dijk and Ryan Bertrand training
Saints defenders Virgil Van Dijk and Ryan Bertrand occupy the left centre back and left back positions respectively with Claude Puel’s side continuing to prove they are the ‘best of the rest’ in seventh place.
Carragher did spring a surprise, though, with the inclusion of a player who has been fighting relegation all season long at Sunderland in the shape of Black Cats goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Explaining his decision to include Pickford, Carragher told MNF: “I’ve gone with maybe a surprise selection in goal, I’ve gone with Jordan Pickford at Sunderland.
“Now the reason I’ve gone for him is I remember he let a poor goal in away at Southampton and I remember thinking ‘young goalkeeper, this is going to be really difficult for Sunderland’.
Sunderland’s Jordan Pickford
“The reason I’ve put him in is because besides (Jermain) Defoe he is maybe Sunderland’s most important player.
“He’s produced four or five saves this season where I’ve thought ‘that’s a goal’ and he’s pulled off a great save.
“Now he’s not at the stage of a (Thibaut) Courtois, (Hugo) Lloris, (David) De Gea but I think he’s brilliant for a young English ‘keeper and can he get to that level?
“I just think he’s had a fantastic season.”
Talking about the two Southampton stars, Carragher said: “They always keep clean sheets, always look very tight.
“I think Van Dijk is going to be the next big money signing (to be lured away) from Southampton.”
Carragher’s team in full:
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