Football
ESPN staff 9y

Emre Can, Liverpool Premier League Rank, No. 50

Next: No. 49, Saido Berahino »

Welcome to ESPN FC's #PremRank.

Beginning May 25, ESPN FC is counting down the top 50 players in the Premier League right now, as voted for by various columnists, editors and analysts. Who makes the cut? Disagree with our list? Tell us on Twitter using the hashtag #PremRank.

Why Emre Can makes the list

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has come under scrutiny for many of the signings made with the money recouped from Luis Suarez's move to Barcelona last summer, but Can has emerged as a genuine success story this season.

Versatile and with plenty of potential, the German under-21 international came of age at Liverpool while playing a central role in a defensive back-three that proved to be a catalyst for a midseason revival for the Anfield club. While his team's run of good form could not be sustained, the promise of Can has been heavily promoted by Rodgers.

"If you give Emre another couple of years, he could play in any team in world football. That's how highly I rate him," said the Liverpool manager. "Playing at the back he is strong, aggressive and fast. He moves the ball well and can move into midfield, and whether central or out wide you can see his intelligence. I feel he will develop into a world-class player."

-- Kevin Palmer

The stats that tell the story

- Started Liverpool's last 20 Premier League games, after starting only three of their first 18 league games this season.
- Led Liverpool with 66 successful tackles this season.

What the experts say

"If the sense of possibility is enticing, the lack of definite conclusions highlights the uncertainty: about system and personnel, about where Liverpool deem Emre Can's best position is and how to get the best from a player of rare gifts. It is a Steven Gerrard-esque predicament; the man around whom a team could be built instead seems to be filling gaps in the teamsheet." -- Richard Jolly, April 2015.

"Could it be, however, that in Can they have a ready-made Gerrard replacement already on their books? At present he is a vital part of a formidable defence, but his future could be as the hub of this improving Liverpool side." -- WhoScored.com, February 2015.

"Liverpool's best player again. The young German once more excelled in two different positions, as he continued his excellent form in defence before pushing up into midfield in the closing stages and driving his team forward with a series of surging runs. He has quickly become a real fan favourite." -- David Usher, February 2015.

Next: No. 49, Saido Berahino »

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