Harry Kane, Marcos Alonso and Jamie Vardy… ten Premier League players who turned out to be better than anyone expected
Some players are never seen as the type to make it to the top, but some have performed at a far higher level than anyone ever believed
MARCOS ALONSO fired in Chelsea’s two goals to beat Tottenham at Wembley — while those with fleeting memories of his time at Bolton and Sunderland continue to be left bemused.
The left-back was on loan with Gus Poyet’s Black Cats in 2014.
And he could only get into the Bolton team after their 2012 relegation to the Championship.
But now the defender is a Premier League title winner and an integral part of Chelsea’s side.
The Spaniard’s time at Fiorentina, before he joined the Blues, has seriously worked wonders.
The player who arrived as part of Antonio Conte’s side is a very different entity to the one who left the English top flight at the end of 2014.
So who else in the Premier League has exceeded all expectations?
Here, SunSport looks at other Premier League players who have performed at a far higher level than anyone ever believed they would.
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Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)
Fresh from playing a key role last season for Chelsea at left wing-back – grabbing six goals in the process – Alonso started this season with a flurry by scoring both Blues goals against Tottenham on Sunday.
The Spaniard has a knack for scoring delightful free kicks but this is far removed from the Alonso remembered as recently as three years ago.
The defender signed for Bolton Wanderers in 2010, after failing to make the grade at Real Madrid, and spent two seasons as back-up before becoming a regular after relegation in 2012.
In 2013 he signed for Italian club Fiorentina but was loaned to Sunderland in January 2014 and helped them survive the drop.
But no one would have believed the progress Alonso would make in such a short space of time.
Harry Kane (Tottenham)
The Spurs talisman is the main man at his club and has won the Premier League’s Golden Boot for the past two seasons.
But this level of success has certainly come as a surprise to many onlookers.
Partly due to his late July birthday, Kane struggled in the Tottenham academy setup and also had a number of uninspiring loan spells away from the club.
While his time at Millwall was productive, his stints at Leyton Orient, Norwich and Leicester weren’t the brightest.
Yet with self-belief and an impressive work ethic the 24-year-old is now one of the most feared forwards in world football.
Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town)
As the Australian midfielder curled in Huddersfield’s winner against Newcastle a number of Premier League onlookers took notice.
Of course, fans of the Terriers are accustomed to seeing great things from Mooy after his loan spell last season.
Now a permanent member of the Huddersfield squad it may come as a surprise to people that Mooy spent part of his youth career at Bolton.
After failing to make an appearance, Mooy moved to Scottish Premiership side St Mirren for two years before heading back to Australia on a free transfer.
To see Mooy performing so well in the Premier League must surely come as a surprise to a number of spectators.
Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
When Kyle Walker arrived at Tottenham from Sheffield United in 2009 he was seen very much as an understudy to Kyle Naughton, who arrived at White Hart Lane in the same deal.
All eyes were perhaps on the marginally older Naughton to make the grade.
However, after a number of loan spells for both players, Walker ended up surpassing Naughton as the main man and soon developed into one of the best right-backs in Europe.
Here we are today and Naughton is plying his trade at Swansea whilst Walker became the world’s most expensive right-back following his transfer to Manchester City this summer.
Danny Rose (Tottenham)
There are few better left-backs in the Premier League than Tottenham’s Danny Rose but few would have expected him to flourish in the way he has – considering he arrived at Spurs as a young winger from Leeds in 2007.
It seemed destined that Rose’s time at Tottenham might pass him by as he ended up being loaned out several times – despite his barnstorming strike against Arsenal in 2010.
However, it was Rose’s 2012/13 season-long loan spell at Sunderland that proved crucial as he established himself at Premier League level for the first time.
From then on Rose never looked back as he went from strength to strength in the Spurs back line.
Michail Antonio (West Ham United)
The 27-year-old winger completed a magical rise from non-league to Premier League when he signed for West Ham in 2015.
Now one of the Hammers’ most important players, it’s easy to forget Antonio began his football career at non-league Tooting and Mitcham.
A move to Reading followed but plenty were unsure if he would make it further up the divisions thanks to his unorthodox style and lack of academy level coaching.
But the likeable winger plugged away and used his strengths to his benefit and now he’s one of the most dangerous players in the top tier – particularly in the air.
Yannick Bolasie (Everton)
The Everton winger began his football career as a 16-year-old at Rushden and Diamonds before a spell with Southern Football League side Hillingdon Borough.
Following that Bolasie then travelled to play for Floriana in the Maltese Premier League.
It’s hard to believe that this is the same player who started to tear up Premier League defences with Crystal Palace before securing a £25million move to Goodison Park last summer.
Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
It doesn’t get more fairy tale than Jamie Vardy’s story.
The striker started out at Stocksbridge Park Steels before moving to Halifax Town, then Fleetwood before rocking up at Leicester City in 2012.
No one ever expected it but, as we all know now, Vardy’s incredible goal scoring in the 2015/16 season helped shock the world as Leicester went on to win the Premier League title and then score for England at the European Championship.
Even since then the striker has continued to score regularly and opened up this season’s campaign with an impressive double against Arsenal.
Ashley Williams (Everton)
Now the captain of Wales, Williams was once a youth product at West Bromwich Albion but was released at the age of 16.
The defender went on to play for non-league Hednesford Town before joining Stockport County – then of League One – in 2003.
After five years at Stockport the defender signed for Swansea City and grew enormously as a player with the club.
Williams developed into a quality centre-back as he went from League One to the Premier League with the Swans.
Everton came calling last summer and signed him for a £12million.
He remains one of the most reliable performers in the top flight but nobody would have expected that in his League One days.
Petr Cech (Arsenal)
This one could be seen as a slight curveball but it’s easy to forget that Cech was seen by as a back-up to Carlo Cudicini when he originally had trials at Chelsea in 2003.
The goalkeeper soon signed with the Blues in 2004 and, thanks to a combination of a Cudicini injury and Claudio Ranieri being replaced as manager by Jose Mourinho, he found himself as the No1.
But no one could have predicted what he would go on to achieve as he is currently holds the Premier League record for most clean sheets (190) accumulated at both Chelsea and Arsenal.
People knew Cech would be good, but he ended up as an all-time great.
