Picking a best Premier League XI is no easy task.
There is no shortage of top talent in the English top flight at the moment, meaning in it is inevitable that some world class players are going to miss out. No matter what side you pick, you're always going to upset some fan base. That is especially true if you are a high profile figure.
While this is a very subjective exercise, you can't help but wonder what some people are thinking when they are picking such teams. Neil Warnock seems to fall into that category.
Neil Warnock picks bizarre Premier League XI
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Warnock was asked to pick his best Premier League XI. The team largely looks as you would expect, with Manchester City and Liverpool players making up the bulk of the side.
However, there are also a couple of very odd choices Here's what the recently retired 73-year old came up with:
Kasper Schmeichel, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, Dan Burn, Kieran Tierney, Declan Rice, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min.
Kasper Schmeichel is a surprise choice in goals. Alisson Becker was included in the PFA Team of the Year this season after a stellar campaign, while most others would consider Ederson, David De Gea, and Hugo Lloris as possible alternatives for the position.
You could also argue that Declan Rice should not be in this team, although English commentators have made a habit of placing him among the best players in the division as of late. Kieran Tierney's inclusion ahead of Andy Robertson and Joao Cancelo is definitely a big shout as well.
However, it is Dan Burn's place in the side that will raise the most eyebrows. The defender had a decent second half of the campaign after moving to Newcastle United for £15million in January, but you could probably name around 20 centre backs in the league who most people would have ahead of him in this side.
This is how Warnock explained his selections:
I like Kasper's confidence and his presence. He's been very loyal to Leicester. I did think of Nick Pope but I thought I'd go for Schmeichel's experience. And I don't think he'd cost me much either!
With Dan Burn, I just wanted an English centre-half. Somebody who can defend, a left-footer, somebody who talks well and would work well with Van Dijk. The other option was maybe Ben White. He's better on the ball than Burn but Burn is a better defender, so I went with him. I nearly went with Antonio Rudiger but I opted for Burn.
We can probably think a few other alternatives instead of Nick Pope and Ben White to be fair.
In all it's a very good side, but there are probably one or two areas that could do with a bit of upgrading.
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