Summary
Alan Shearer has picked his Premier League Team of the Season.
Liverpool's dominance reflected in defence with Van Dijk and Alisson feature, alongside top defensive target.
Attacking trio of Salah, Isak, Mbeumo standout; Salah's exceptional season, Isak's performance lauded.
There’s now just one Premier League matchday left in the 2024/25 season. For clubs like Liverpool, they’ll be wishing the final whistle never comes, such has been the joy of their jubilant celebrations each week as they toast a record-extending 20th league title. Meanwhile, the likes of Tottenham, Manchester United, and Arsenal will be gasping for the season's finish line, each for their own reasons, be it redemption, reflection, or relief.
And that can only mean one thing: it’s time to rewind the season reel. The highs, the lows, and all the drama in between. Perhaps the most hotly-debated tradition at this time of year is picking the Team of the Season. Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have already had their say to varying reactions, and now Premier League all-time top scorer Alan Shearer has provided us with his XI - which you can see in full below, along with the thinking behind his picks.
Sky Sports pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher share a joke. Related
Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville Both Pick Their Premier League Team of the Season
Gary Neville didn't select a single Arsenal player in his side, while Manchester City have no players included in either Team of the Season.
Goalkeeper & Defence
Alisson; Daniel Munoz, Virgil van Dijk, William Saliba, Milos Kerkez
Liverpool fans have reason to be quietly confident about retaining their crown next season, with three of Shearer’s five defensive picks potentially calling Anfield home in 2025/26. Alisson and Virgil van Dijk remain the absolute best in their position in world football, while Milos Kerkez looks set to join Arne Slot’s Anfield rebuild.
The Bournemouth left-back registered seven goal contributions during a season where the Cherries briefly flirted with European qualification. On the opposite flank, Shearer chose another attacking full-back in Daniel Munoz. Crystal Palace fans hail him as “Colombia’s finest,” and with nine goal involvements, as well as a Man of the Match performance in the FA Cup final - assisting Eberechi Eze's winner - it's easy to see why.
Rounding out the back line is William Saliba, seen as the next-in-line to be the Premier League's best defender. Still, some argue his partner Gabriel may have edged him this season, especially given a few high-profile errors from the Frenchman. Shearer disagreed, and instead named Nottingham Forest's Nikola Milenkovic as the other centre-back he considered.
epl-centre-backs Related
15 Best Centre-Backs in the Premier League Right Now (2025)
The Premier League has loads of quality centre-backs right now, but who are the best 15?
Midfield
Alexis Mac Allister, Declan Rice, Sandro Tonali
As the old cliché goes, games are won in midfield - and with Shearer’s selections of Alexis Mac Allister, Declan Rice, and Sandro Tonali, that sentiment rings true. On the first of the trio, he said:
"He has made great strides under Arne Slot, hardly missing a match, and is the engine that has powered the champions. His dominance in midfield is a big reason why Liverpool have been so good. He nudges out the excellent Morgan Rogers."
What’s often said about the Argentine - who seems to have completed football before turning 27, having also lifted both the World Cup and Copa America recently - can also be said about the other two as well. Rice has evolved into an all-action midfielder for Arsenal, adding goals to his game in recent months to complement his already commanding presence.
Tonali, meanwhile, has been pivotal to Newcastle’s rise to third in the table. It’s no coincidence that Eddie Howe’s side climbed from mid-table obscurity to Carabao Cup winners and Champions League qualifiers following the Italian’s return from suspension since the turn of the year.
Attack
Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak, Bryan Mbeumo
Shearer, a prolific goalscorer in his own right, called Mohamed Salah “the easiest decision of them all,” before questioning whether any player has ever produced a better individual season. Salah has racked up 46 goal involvements in 37 games so far - just one shy of the record, though it’s worth noting Shearer and Andy Cole set that mark in a 42-game season. The Geordie icon was equally complimentary of Alexander Isak, saying:
"One of the best No 9s in Europe. He's had a fantastic season, but he's just unlucky that Salah has been so phenomenal, as 23 goals would be enough to win him the Golden Boot in some seasons. Chris Wood and Yoane Wissa have also impressed throughout the campaign, so they deserve a mention here too."
His pick for left-wing was between Eberechi Eze and Bryan Mbeumo, though he ended up going for the latter because of how consistent the Brentford talisman has been. Those in west London were able to quickly forget about Ivan Toney's departure because the Cameroonian has stepped up in a big way - scoring 19 goals and assisting seven times, even when the Bees haven't been at their best.
EPL_Greatest PL Players Related
50 Greatest Premier League Players of All Time [Ranked]
The Premier League has seen an abundance of extremely talented players, but who makes the cut?
Manager
Arne Slot
Arne Slot
Enzo Maresca started the season well but fell off a cliff at Christmas, Nuno Espirito Santo is clinging on to what once looked like a foregone conclusion that Nottingham Forest would qualify for Champions League football next season, and the only manager that has really gone above and beyond now is Liverpool's Arne Slot.
"We have seen some sharp declines when influential long-term figures leave big clubs, but Liverpool fans needn't have worried. They're in safe hands with Slot," Shearer explained. The Reds are in great condition post-Jurgen Klopp, despite the new helmsman having yet brought new faces into the first-team fold. See Shearer's full Premier League Team of the Season below:
All statistics courtesy of Premier League (correct as of 21/05/2025)