Birmingham City Football Formation

Lineup (4-2-3-1)

GK: Mark Schwarzer (Fulham)

Edwin van der Sar may well have kept 14 successive clean sheets but in truth he had little to do in that sensational run for Manchester United, and we've looked elsewhere for our goalkeeper, with Schwarzer the runaway winner in his field. The top three are the only teams to have conceded less goals than Fulham in what has been an excellent season for the Cottagers as they close in on a European place. And Roy Hodgson has no doubt about the contribution his former Middlesbrough goalkeeper has made, saying of the free-transfer signing: "You have to say he was the best buy of the season. He's had an outstanding season."

RB: Glen Johnson (Portsmouth)

We can't argue with Johnson's selection in the PFA Team of the Season - and he's another runaway winner in our team, with Jose Bosingwa his nearest (albeit distant) challenger. At 24, the former Chelsea full-back has matured into a player producing consistently high-level performances for both Portsmouth - despite their struggles - and England, for whom he appears to now be the first choice in the No 2 shirt. Anyone not picking Johnson should bear in mind the words of Pompey caretaker-boss Paul Hart, who said: "It's quite obvious Glen is the best right-back in the country."

CB: Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United)

Giggs being named as the 2008/09 PFA Player of the Year has drawn plenty of comment elsewhere, and it's ground that doesn't really need to be recovered. But let me just repeat the comment in my analysis in the lead-up to the awards night: "If you were judging it solely on this season the brutal truth is Vidic would beat his team-mate by a landslide." Vidic was selected by all but one of our judges after a season in which his chalk-and-cheese partnership with the more stylish Rio Ferdinand reached new heights. But for a shocker against Liverpool, the Serb has hardly put a foot out of place and that consistency makes him a shoo-in.

CB: Brede Hangeland (Fulham)

As already mentioned, only the top three have conceded less goals than Fulham this season and in front of Schwarzer, Hangeland has been immense. Both Phil Jagielka and Ferdinand had strong claims after excellent seasons but the former was edged out by the man from the Cottage. Arsenal and Liverpool are among the clubs rumoured to be awaiting news on his future - and when clubs of that stature are sniffing around it speaks volumes. Hodgson knows his players better than anyone - and he says the Norwegian has been a "model of consistency".

LB: Patrice Evra (Manchester United)

A relatively open contest with Gael Clichy in and out of the Arsenal team due to injury, Evra and Ashley Cole not at their best and bolters like Leighton Baines staking their claims with strong showings. But ultimately Evra got the nod. The archetypal modern full-back in that he is just as effective defensive as he is going forward, the Frenchman was another to contribute to Manchester United's sensational run of clean sheets. Not as consistently excellent as last season, with Aaron Lennon notably getting the better of him in the Carling Cup final, but impressive enough for us.

RM: Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

That Young recently went 18 games without scoring and still comfortably made our team shows just how impressive he was in the opening stages of the season. Indeed his campaign has pretty much mirrored Villa's - a flying start followed by a plateau which meant their Champions League dream crashed and burned. Martin O'Neill has lavished praise on Young throughout the season (describing him as a "world-class performer" in December) and it's easy to see why - pace to burn, an eye for a goal and superb delivery in open play and set-pieces alike. The PFA Young Player of the Year and part of an awesome midfield quartet here.

CM: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

The true heartbeat of a Liverpool side still in the title race come early May, an already impressive Gerrard has taken his game to a different level since the arrival of Fernando Torres at Anfield. His 16 goals in the Premier League (24 in all competitions) mean he has only been outscored by Nicolas Anelka and Cristiano Ronaldo but there is much more to Gerrard's game in his role as the Reds' metronome, dictating the tempo by taking hold of a game in a way few others in world football can do. As Zinedine Zidane said: "Is he the best in the world? Yes, I think he just might be."

CM: Frank Lampard (Chelsea)

Our failure to include even a single Chelsea player in our Team of the Season last time around drew plenty of complaints from Blues fans, but the selection of Lampard here is much more than just a softener for them. 'Lamps' has been quite phenomenal, particularly in the latter weeks of the season, and his failure to even make the PFA shortlist undermines the system. Twelve goals in the Premier League is another impressive tally, particularly when you consider he's matched Wayne Rooney goal for goal, and he's also in to double figures for assists. A class act.

LM: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Before going any further, we'll hold our hands up and admit that Ronaldo is not everyone's cup of tea. The histrionics and the petulance do him no favours whatsoever, but the fact is he's a phenomenal footballer. No player has scored more than him in the Premier League this season and that despite him missing the first month through injury. Yes, he's been some way short of the 42 goals he managed in all competitions last year but by anyone's standards he's had an excellent season and could yet win another domestic and European double.

CF: Fernando Torres (Liverpool)

That four players have scored more goals than Torres in the Premier League this season would suggest - at face value - that the Spaniard has struggled to reach the heights of 2007/08. And to a certain extent that is true as injuries have badly affected his, and by definition Liverpool's, season. But 13 league goals from only 18 starts tells the real story of a striker who at his best remains unplayable. That Vidic's worst game of the season by a distance came against Torres is no coincidence and the only fear for Liverpool fans is that his participation in the Confederations Cup this summer will lead to further problems next season.

CF: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

Rooney may well have missed out on a place in the PFA team to Anelka but it's a reversal of fortunes for the duo in our XI. This has been Rooney's most consistent season since his move to Old Trafford and he continues to develop into the player everyone hoped he would be when he burst to national prominence in his teens. His best performance of the season came 'in the hole' for England against Croatia but it is a sign of his maturity and class that he has slotted into several different roles for United without being marginalised.

Substitutes: Tim Howard (Everton); Phil Jagielka (Everton); Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United); Stephen Ireland (Manchester City); Xabi Alonso (Liverpool); Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea); Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool).

Others nominated (in order of total votes)

Goalkeepers: Jose Reina, Shay Given, Edwin van der Sar, Brad Friedel, Heurelho Gomes, Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Defenders: Leighton Baines, Ashley Cole, Jose Bosingwa, Paul Konchesky, Rafael Da Silva, John Terry, Luke Young, Gary Cahill, Jonny Evans, Abdoulaye Faye, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock.

Midfielders: Tim Cahill, Michael Carrick, Aaron Lennon, Gareth Barry, Ryan Giggs, Mikel Arteta, Matthew Taylor, Denilson, Danny Murphy, Wilson Palacios, Stilyian Petrov, Antonio Valencia.

Forwards: Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Kevin Davies