The Premier League's most underrated players

As the 2015-16 Premier League season approaches, here are five players who consistently perform at the top level without getting the same praise as their peers.

Riyad Mahrez - Leicester City

Largely unknown prior to Leicester City's 2014-15 return to top-flight soccer after a 10-year hiatus, Riyad Mahrez's contributions to the East Midlands club were instrumental in their late-season survival charge.

Mahrez, 24, who came to Leicester in 2014 from French talent incubator Le Havre, was quietly one of the Premier League's breakout players.

Bottom at Christmas, the Foxes - led by since-sacked gaffer Nigel Pearson - turned things around to finish 14th, six points clear of the drop. Mahrez contributed to the club's brilliant second half with four goals and three assists in 25 appearances.

Typically used on the right wing, where his marauding pace caused headaches for full-backs, Mahrez's coming out party came when he scored a dominating brace in a 2-0 victory over Southampton in May, during a run of six victories in seven matches for Leicester City.

The Algerian international will need to once again be a major contributor for the Foxes and newly appointed manager Claudio Ranieri, if they hope to avoid the fate of other yo-yo clubs.

Jose Fonte - Southampton

Perhaps the Premier League's most baffling recurring storyline comes from Southampton. Each summer, they sell players for considerably more than they paid for them, then scour Europe's less heralded leagues to find adequate replacements at a fraction of the price.

Amidst the ever-changing puzzle, there's been one consistent piece: club captain Jose Fonte. The 31-year-old joined the south coast club in 2010 when the Saints were two rungs below the top flight in Football League 1.

Last season, Fonte appeared in all but one of Southampton's Premier League matches, and following the summer departure of center-back partner Dejan Lovren to Liverpool, the Portuguese international was paired with unknowns Maya Yoshida and Florin Gardos.

Fonte has been Southampton's last line of defense and one of their better players these last few campaigns, yet receives nary the praise other Premier League players half as consistent do.

Adrian - West Ham United

Arguably West Ham's most consistent performer during the 2014-15 Premier League campaign, Adrian was instrumental in the Hammers' early-season success and can hardly be blamed for their post-Christmas collapse.

The Real Betis product assumed first-choice duties last season, replacing incumbent Jussi Jaaskelainen. Adrian had eight clean sheets in the Hammers' 12 victories, and appeared in all 38 of their Premier League matches.

The lanky Spaniard would be lucky to get a fraction of the praise the likes of David De Gea and Thibaut Courtois receive, but without his efforts, the Hammers could have done far worse than they did in finishing mid-table.

Adrian and his teammates have already started their season, kicking off their continental campaign with five Europa League qualifying matches after being granted entry into the tournament via FIFA's Fair Play rule. Adrian has appeared between the sticks in the last three matches, and made the only save in a penalty shootout victory over Maltese minnows Birkirkara to save his East London club from certain ridicule.

Ki Sung-Yueng - Swansea City

It wouldn't be right to compile a list of underrated players in the Premier League without including a member of Garry Monk's Swans.

Ki Sung-Yueng, 26, joined Swansea from Celtic in 2012, and despite taking some time to find his place on the squad - including being loaned to Sunderland in 2013 - the South Korean has been a vital cog in Monk's midfield.

When positioned in a defensive midfield role, where he made 22 starts slotted in behind Jonjo Shelvey or Jack Cork, Ki scored five of his eight goals and added an assist. When he played slightly further up the park to fill in for an injured Cork, which he did eight times, Ki scored two goals but seemed a little out of his comfort zone leading the attack.

Having signed a four-year deal last summer, Ki's an important part of Monk's plans for the future, and will need to be in good form if the Swans hope to chase the elusive spot in Europe they missed by four points last campaign.

Jeff Schlupp - Leicester City

Few members of Leicester's squad deserve as much credit for their brilliant second half as Ghanaian international Jeff Schlupp.

Whether it was as a left-back or on the left side of the midfield, where the 22-year-old made 25 appearances, Schlupp's pace and dribbling skills set him apart from many of the bigger names enlisted to keep him in check.

Schlupp, who appeared in 32 of the Foxes' 38 Premier League fixtures, was a vital outlet for Pearson's counter-attack, where he and Mahrez, typically positioned on the right wing, were the club's best vantage of attack in lieu of a usually over-matched central midfield.

Look for the young Schlupp to make a name for himself this campaign. He's certain to be a vital piece of Ranieri's attempts to keep the Foxes up.