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Today’s My Favourite XI comes from Michael Park, one of the men behind Scheidt’s Footballing Miscellany. It’s a rather eclectic collection, with a few unsung heroes and plenty of food for thought. Enjoy - and don’t forget, if you want to submit your own Favourite XI, just get in touch.

Previous Favourite XI: Picklive
Next Favourite XI: Neil Sherwin

Goalkeeper: David De Gea (Atletico Madrid)

There’s precious little that can be said about Atletico’s number 13 that hasn’t already been pored over time and time again by Europe’s top journalists, so for me to do it would make me look really stupid. Suffice to say that De Gea’s form and a timely back injury to Sergio Asenjo threw him into the limelight. 25 club appearances with 10 clean sheets in all competitions this season have seen De Gea promoted to first choice ‘keeper for El Atleti while Asenjo has been farmed out on loan to Málaga.

Defender: Sébastian Corchia (Le Mans)

Playing for Le Mans doesn’t always gain you the accolades that you might desire from the European media but Sébastian Corchia’s performances at right back for the Ligue 2 club have certainly caught the eye and earned him a call-up to the French under-21 squad, where has made 10 appearances to date. If his form and undoubted ability help Le Mans back to Ligue 1 then you’d have to imagine it’ll only be a matter of time until France and Europe’s big boys start to knock on the 20-year-old’s door.

Defender: Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund)
Defender: Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund)

Let’s face it, these two come as a package. Nearly ever-present at the back for Dortmund this season, which has seen them rocket into first place in the Bundesliga. The closeness of this defensive pairing could well come from them being almost exactly the same age (to the month) and their having been given time to establish themselves as Dortmund’s first choice centre-backs. Despite Subotic qualifying to play for a staggering three different international sides, he has made 20 appearances for Serbia and Hummels has been widely touted as the future of the German defence. A quite incredible pairing.

Defender: Martin Kelly (Liverpool)

Okay, you’ve caught me. Kelly is a right back as well but playing him at left back in my XI is a sign of my faith in the 20-year-old. I have complete belief that he would be able to make his marauding runs beyond the half-way line on the left side of the park and deliver the width that Liverpool appear to have been lacking this season. It would be interesting to see his crossing ability when asked to cut in from the left. For me, Kelly’s stature and physique suggested a player who would be uncomforable bombing forward but he’s certainly proved me wrong.

Midfielder: Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad)

Not just making it into the XI because his name sounds like the name of a company selling engine lubricant, French under-21 international Griezmann has been making a name for himself as a number 7, establishing his role in the Sociedad first team during their reascension to La Liga. He has been a driving force for the club this season, managing four goals and three assists. That might not seem a lot but considering top scorer Xabi Prieto is on six from his midfield position, but it’s not a terrible return and is the same as star strike Raul Tamudo. Griezmann, having been linked with Marseille and Liverpool in the last few months, will be looking to enhance his stock before his head is turned again.

Midfielder: Jamie Ness (Rangers)

Ness is a player that won’t be unknown to readers who watched the most recent Old Firm derby. Jamie Ness scored a wonder-goal in the first ten minutes for the Ibrox side and has looked assured and effective in the centre of the midfield for Rangers all season, often playing with apparent experience that belies his age.

Midfielder: Gylfi Sigurðsson (Hoffenheim)

Icelandic midfielder Sigurðsson has a return of eight goals in 19 appearances for Bundesliga side Hoffenheim despite having come off the bench on 11 of those occasions. An intelligent, creative midfielder, he has quickly found his feet in Germany having moved from Reading last summer. Averaging almost a goal a game, Sigurðsson (in the absence of Demba Ba) is currently Hoffenheim’s top goalscorer in all competitions. A fantastic start to a top-flight career.

Midfielder: James Forrest (Celtic)

Ever since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer retired from playing, we at Scheidt’s Footballing Miscellany have been desperate to find a new player to refer to as the “Baby-Faced Assassin”. Naturally, young James Forrest doesn’t sit atop a skyscraper projecting a targeting dot onto visiting Japanese dignitaries, but he has shown incredible potential since his first appearance for Celtic against Motherwell in May of last year.

Two goals in six starts for the young Celtic attacker has proved that this Scotland Under-21 international has the potential to be one of Scotland’s brightest new talents. In truth, he’s walked into a void left by Russophile winger Aiden McGeady.

Forward: Connor Wickham (Ipswich Town)

Connor Wickham is 17 years old and is also one of those footballers that you admire while slightly hating because you’ll never be that good. Standing at 6ft 3in and wearing Ipswich’s number 9 shirt, Wickham has quickly established himself as a competent footballer at Championship level. Arguably a positive legacy of Roy Keane’s management at Portman Road, Wickham has been given the opportunity to play football on a regular basis in the first team. His return of six goals in 49 games might not wow the reader on first look but this is a 17-year-old who has made 49 senior appearances for his club, a remarkable record. His goalscoring will no doubt go from strength to strength as he grows as a person and as a footballer.

Forward: Iker Muniain (Athletic Bilbao)

Another little squirt that makes you annoyed that you never got stuck in at football training, 18-year-old Muniain is the youngest ever goalscorer in La Liga, having scored aged 16 against Valladolid. Another player who is doubtless designed for the future, the young Spaniard is a creative forward who has provided an excellent foil for star striker Fernando Llorente this season.

Substitutes:

Goalkeeper: Cameron Bell (Kilmarnock)

Providing the inevitable Kilmarnock presence and experienced head in the team (at 24), Bell has been fantastic in goal for Kilmarnock this season helping them to defy pre-season predictions and reach fourth in the SPL. Widely touted as Scotland’s next goalkeeping star, the important thing for him is to finish this season strongly. If he does, he will have his pick of Premier League suitors.

Defender: Danilo (Santos)

Yes, another right back who played fantastically well bursting forward against Argentina in the South American youth championships. Impressive crossing ability. Danilo has been bought by a group of entrepreneurs who have him playing at one of Brazil’s biggest teams, Santos.

Midfielder: Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund)

The Japanese attacker is probably too good to be on the bench but remains here for being too obvious. He has scored a goal every two games for Borussia Dortmund since joining from J-League club Cerezo Osaka. Impressive.

Midfielder: Andrea Poli (Sampdoria)

Poli will one day be a force in Sampdoria’s midfield and, it could be suggested, has been their brightest talent over the last couple of years with the exception of Antonio Cassano, who has now departed. Definitely one to keep an eye on.

Forward: Yaya Sanogo (Auxerre)

While the rest of the world watches Romelu Lukaku in awe, why not impress the opposite sex at parties by mentioning Yaya Sanogo? An 18-year-old French player with massive potential and a frame vaguely reminiscent of Man United’s Dimitar Berbatov, Sanogo is a technically gifted footballer who might take a couple of years to really burst through but when he does, he’s going to be massive.

Tags: Andrea Poli, Antoine Griezmann, Cameron Bell, Connor Wickham, Danilo, David de Gea, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Iker Muniain, James Forrest, Jamie Ness, Martin Kelly, Mats Hummels, Neven Subotic, Sebastian Corchia, Shinji Kagawa, Yaya Sanogo