Uefa have announced their 40-man shortlist for its team of the year, with Welsh trio Gareth Bale, Aaron Ramsey and (of course) Joe Allen all featuring.
All were part of the Wales team that made it the semi-finals of the European Championships over the summer – the nation’s first major football tournament in over half a century.
Allen and Ramsey are two of 12 Premier League players to make the list, with N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez earning places for the parts they played in helping Leicester City win the Premier League last season. Jamie Vardy does not feature, despite also having quite a say in the Foxes’ title charge.
With Vardy absent, it probably comes as little surprise to learn that there are no English players on the list at all.
Other Premier League stars include Toby Alderweireld (who didn’t appear on the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or last month), Laurent Koscielny, Paul Pogba, Kevin de Bruyne, Dimitri Payet, Sergio Aguero, Alexis Sanchez and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Fans have until January 3 to vote on who they believe should be in the team over on Uefa’s website.
Here is the full 40-man shortlist:
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Keylor Navas (Real Madrid), Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid) Rui Patricio (Sporting Lisbon).
Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham Hostspur) Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Leonardo Bonnuci (Juventus), Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid), Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund), Juanfran (Atletico Madrid), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Pepe (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid).
Midfielders: Joe Allen (Stoke), Kevin De Bruyne (Man City), Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Grzegorz Krychowiak (PSG), Riyad Mahrez (Leicester), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Dimitri Payet (West Ham), Paul Pogba (Man Utd), Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal).
Forwards: Sergio Aguero (Man City), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund), Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Man Utd), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Neymar (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal), Luis Suarez (Barcelona).
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