For me, the most improved Premier League player of the season is Everton’s Phil Jagielka. Signed and touted as a utility player, he has gone from strength to strength this season, despite admitting that he suffers from brittle confidence.

Since the turn of the year, Jagielka has steadily improved and David Moyes has been very astute in giving Jag the time to bed in - and now he is repaying that faith in spades.

You can see why Moyes was interested in Jagielka. He is an extremely flexible "Swiss army knife" of a player who had progressed to the Sheffield United first team through the youth ranks. As early as 2003, Sheffield United were being bombarded with bids for the youngster but not only did they repel any advances but Jagielka himself decided that he would be better served staying at Bramall Lane - a refreshing change from all the mercenary footballers out there.

'When Everton signed Jagielka for £4m in the summer there was lots of speculation about where he would fit in'


In the 2006-07 season the Blades fought a brave and plucky campaign, and Jagielka spearheaded it - becoming reliability personified, playing every minute of the 2006-07 season. His most famous game came in December when United were 1-0 up at home to Arsenal. Goalkeeper Paddy Kenny got injured - and Jagielka went in between the sticks, repelling all of Arsenal's attacks for 34 minutes and securing a famous United win.

The heroics no doubt attracted even more suitors than before, and added to that was his stout reliability. By season's end he had not only played every minute of that season, but had amassed 133 consecutive league appearances.

When Everton signed Jagielka for £4m in the summer there was lots of speculation about where he would fit in. After seeing him stutter in midfield people began to speculate whether he would be a squad player - forever on the periphery of things, and marginalised because of the fact that he could play in so many positions.

Whispers grew that Jags was bought to be the perfect substitute, able to come on and fill any number of positions. However, since Christmas, Jagielka has grown as a player, improving with every match - and at such an impressive rate that Joseph Yobo and Joleon Lescott no longer have a stranglehold on the centre of defence.

Rejected by Everton as a schoolboy was something which Jagielka says matured him quickly. But on his second coming, Moyes claims that the former Blade felt out of his depth and chastened by the talent at Goodison. It took him a few months to realise that he was good enough to play for Everton, but when he did the Goodison faithful witnessed the birth of a centre-half who could be a fixture at the Merseyside club for seasons to come.

Jagielka himself is typically modest, saying: “I feel at home, especially with Joleon and Joseph alongside me. Joseph doesn’t talk that much but he tells you enough. I’d rather have someone who doesn’t talk that much, but is as good as Joesph is, rather than someone who can talk a lot but not really help you out.

“Joleon is a bit like me in that he’s not particularly loud, but he tells you the important information when you need it and his form has been frightening this season. To play in between both of them makes me look a half decent player.”