Monday 18 December 2017 07:40, UK
Sky Sports is counting down the top 100 players of 2017, but before we find out who tops the list, we start with those ranked 100-81.
Using the Sky Sports Power Rankings, we have crunched the numbers to calculate which players have enjoyed a stellar year across Europe's top five leagues.
While the No 1 player will not be revealed until Friday, we kick things off with the 20 players who came 100-81...
100. Eric Dier - Tottenham
One of the first names on the Tottenham teamsheet, Dier has also established himself as an England regular this year, and looks a certainty for Gareth Southgate's starting XI in next year's World Cup should he remain fit.
99. Thomas Delaney - FC Copenhagen/Werder Bremen
Delaney secured a move to Werder Bremen in the summer after impressing for FC Copenhagen, while a hat-trick in Denmark's 4-1 win over Armenia in September - three days after scoring against Poland - helped the nation secure a World Cup play-off spot, where they knocked out the Republic of Ireland to reach next summer's tournament.
98. Aaron Ramsey - Arsenal
Few players can lay claim to scoring a winning goal in the FA Cup final, never mind doing it twice. However, after doing so in the 2014 triumph over Hull City, Ramsey popped up once again to score the decisive goal against Chelsea in May. He also netted his 50th goal for the club in October's 2-1 win against Swansea.
97. Luka Modric - Real Madrid
One of the more surprising rankings on the list, Modric came fifth in this year's Ballon d'Or vote after enjoying Champions League and La Liga glory with Real Madrid. His formidable understanding with Casemiro and Toni Kroos in midfield has allowed the forward line to flourish at Real.
96. David de Gea - Manchester United
De Gea has 25 clean sheets for club and country this year, with the United shotstopper earning plenty of plaudits after their December win over Arsenal in the Premier League, which saw him make a joint-record 14 saves. He was also named in the PFA Team of the Year for a fourth time and came 20th on the Ballon d'Or list.
95. Suso - AC Milan
Having departed Liverpool in January 2015, Suso has gone from strength to strength at AC Milan, playing a major role in the Serie A giants' rejuvenation. The 24-year-old's form has been so impressive that he has been linked with a big-money return to Liverpool, and earned his first international cap in November, which when you consider the options Spain coach Julen Lopetegui has at his disposal, cannot be downplayed.
94. Marco Verratti - PSG
Verratti appeared set to move to Barcelona in the summer, but the influx of talent in the French capital persuaded the 25-year-old he is best to stay put. The Champions League has brought out the best of Verratti in an attacking sense this season, with two goals and two assists in the group stages.
93. Josip Ilicic - Atalanta
Another late climber in the list due to recent form. Ilicic spent the last four years at Fiorentina, before joining Atalanta in the summer. Three World Cup qualification goals set him on his way to a fine start to life at Atalanta after making the switch in the close season. Four goals and four assists in Serie A this campaign has increased his stock yet further.
92. Mesut Ozil - Arsenal
A section of Arsenal fans are still to warm to the Germany international, but once again, Ozil is among the frontrunners for chances created in the Premier League. Last season, only Kevin De Bruyne and Christian Eriksen created more chances, while, this time around, Ozil is right up there in terms of creativity once again.
91. N'Golo Kante - Chelsea
Kante became the first outfield player in Premier League history to win back-to-back titles with different clubs after following up Leicester's shock league triumph in 2016 with domestic glory at Chelsea this year. A terrific 2017 for the Blues saw Kante finish eighth in the Ballon d'Or rankings, while he also picked up the PFA Player of the Year award in May.
90. Marcos Alonso - Chelsea
The Chelsea defender embraced the role of wing-back during the Premier League title-winning season as Antonio Conte utilised the Spaniard's energy and stamina to great effect.
89. Ivan Rakitic - Barcelona
The midfielder helped steer Croatia to the World Cup with a 4-1 aggregate victory over Greece in the play-offs, while he scored in one of the year's most memorable games - the 3-2 league win over rivals Real Madrid.
88. Remo Freuler - Atalanta
Everton fans will be happy to see the back Atalanta defensive midfielder Remo Freuler. With five goals and four assists last season in Serie A, Freuler has built on an impressive end to last season to continue to drive Atalanta forward, with Freuler the heartbeat of the side that convincingly beat Everton twice in this season's Europa League.
87. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic - Lazio
A simple search of the midfielder's name will show you that Manchester United, Liverpool and Barcelona are said to be interested in the 22-year-old, who played an integral part in helping Lazio finish last season fifth in Serie A. He also put in a starring role in the Italian Super Cup clash against Juventus, which saw them shock the Italian champions 3-2 in August.
86. Fernandinho - Man City
City's attack is rightly grabbing the headlines this campaign, but it's Fernandinho who has been doing the silent work in midfield. Only Nicolas Otamendi, Granit Xhaka and David Silva have averaged more passes than the Brazilian in the Premier League this season, while a pass completion percentage of 90.2 sees him comfortably in the top 10.
85. Malcom - Bordeaux
The 20-year-old Brazilian winger arrived in France from Corinthians in January 2016. Quick and tricky, he's added 11 goals to his seven assists in 2017, lighting up Ligue 1 with form that has seen him linked with Bayern Munich and Manchester United.
84. Leon Goretzka - Schalke
Goretzka's stock continues to rise at Schalke, with the German midfielder said to be a target for Arsenal and Manchester United. The 22-year-old also scored his first goals for Germany this year, netting in the Confederations Cup wins over Australia and Mexico before also getting on the scoresheet against Norway and Azerbaijan in their World Cup Qualifiers.
83. Jose Callejon - Napoli
The Spanish winger has enjoyed an impressive return of 15 goals for his club in 2017, with six of those coming this season as he's helped fire Napoli into the Serie A title race. Callejon has also earned a recall to the Spain national team, with his performances putting him contention for a place in the World Cup squad.
82. Andre Silva - Porto/AC Milan
After finishing the 2016-17 season with 16 league goals for Porto, Silva moved to Milan in a year where the striker became a regular fixture for Portugal, scoring seven times for the Euro 2016 winners, including their second in the vital 2-0 win over Switzerland in October.
81. Marco Asensio - Real Madrid
The heir to Cristiano Ronaldo's throne at Real Madrid? At just 21, Asensio is already setting the Bernabeu alight, while he was named in the European U21 Championship's team of the tournament after impressing for Spain.
