Player Focus: WhoScored's Under 21 Team of the Season

With La Liga coming to an end this weekend, WhoScored.com have taken the chance to calculate the Under 21 Team of the Season based on player ratings, though no players from the Spanish, nor the French league, make the grade. To do so players must have been 21 or under at the start of the season and made at least 20 league appearances over the course of the 2012/13 campaign.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Borussia M'Gladbach)

It was a weekend to forget for Gladbach keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, whose howler against USA in yesterday's international friendly for Germany will no doubt leave many questioning a touted summer switch to Barca. The 21 year old has now made 3 senior appearances for Low's national side conceding 12 goals in the process, leading some to question his ability at the very top level.

Nevertheless, the youngster's reputation is not one that has been built on such a record, and since breaking through into Lucien Favre's first team he has been hugely impressive in the most part. In the last two Bundesliga seasons he's started every game for Gladbach and this time around he made the most successful high claims (105), as well as the most saves from shots outside the box (53) and the most punched clearances (31) in the division.

Daniel Carvajal (Bayer Leverkusen) - 7.63

Dani Carvajal's superb season with Bayer Leverkusen has subsequently earned the right-back a return to Real Madrid, where he is likely to replace Alvaro Arbeloa, after just one season away from the club. His form has also led many to believe that he will displace the former Liverpool full-back in the national side sooner rather than later, though he will be away with the Under 21 squad in the European Championships this summer.

The 22 year old played in all but two of Leverkusen's games this season as the German outfit secured third place. The Spaniard showed his quality going forward, picking up 7 assists having averaged 1.5 key passes and 1.9 successful dribbles per game. In a defensive sense only two Bundesliga players averaged more interceptions per game (3.7), while an average of 3.4 tackles a match was also enough to rank among the league's top 20 players.

Stefan Savic (Fiorentina) - 7.26

The subject of a fair amount of ridicule whilst in Eastlands, it's fair to say that the Montenegrin's transfer to Fiorentina in the summer worked out well for everyone. The 22 year old was involved in a switch deal for the Viola's Matija Nastasic, and while the young Serbian put in assured performances in his first season in England, Savic has arguably been even more impressive since moving to Serie A.

In 26 appearances for a club that some have suggested played the best football in Italy this season, Savic has never looked out of place, completing an excellent 88.3% of his passes. Defensively his average of 2.7 interceptions per game is highly respectable, while he led the way for Vincenzo Montella's side in terms of aerial duels won (3.4) and clearances (8.3) per game, ranking among the top 10 players in Serie A for both statistics.

Marquinhos (Roma) - 7.17

Forging a Serie A defensive partnership here, and yet another summer signing, is teenage Brazilian Marquinhos, whose appearance in the XI comes despite playing for a Roma side who only conceded fewer goals (56) than three other teams in the division. The 19 year old only started 22 league games but when he did the side conceded fewer goals per game (1.41) than they did without him (1.56).

The youngster's ability in possession, as is the case with so many Brazilian defenders, is obvious, completing an exceptional 88.9% of his passes. An average of 2.7 interceptions per game was only bettered by compatriot Castan (2.8) at Roma, and while a figure of 7.3 clearances per game was again just pipped into second by Burdisso (7.4), Marquinhos led the way for aerial duels won per game (2.3).

David Alaba (Bayern Munich) - 7.33

To establish yourself as a regular in Europe's best club side is no mean feat at the age of just 20, but David Alaba did just that in the second half of the season for Bayern Munich. Injury to Holger Badstuber paved the way for the versatile youngster to stake his claim for a starting berth, and it is hard to see the German forcing his way back into the side, if he were to feature at left-back at least.

In 23 league appearances Alaba scored 3 goals and picked up 3 assists, completing a massive 89.5% of his pass attempts - enough to rank sixth in the Bundesliga. Such an accuracy came from 54 pass attempts per game, which again ranks among the league's top 20 players, while a cross accuracy of 27.4% is also an impressive figure.

Erik Lamela (Roma) - 7.58

Young Argentine winger Erik Lamela had a decent, if unspectacular debut season in Serie A but became a key player under the tutelage of Zdenek Zeman in particular. The 21 year old found his place in what some would say was an overly offensive system, making 18 of his 30 Serie A starts this season on the right side of a front three alongside Francesco Totti and Pablo Osvaldo.

Only the latter managed more league goals for the club this season than Lamela's 15, with the South American also registering 5 assists. His tally of 11 left footed goals was the highest in Serie A and a conversion rate of 17.4% was better than that of his aforementioned attacking teammates. Only ten Serie A players completed more accurate through balls than the Roma youngster (17), while only two could top his tally of 99 successful dribbles.

Mario Götze (Borussia Dortmund) - 7.79

Much has been made of Mario Götze's impending transfer to Dortmund's fierce rivals Bayern Munich, with a reported €37m price hanging over him, but the European champions are unquestionably acquiring one of the world's brightest young stars. Indeed, of all players to begin the 2012/13 season under or of the age of 21 the Dortmund playmaker picked up the highest rating from WhoScored.com.

Despite missing a sizeable portion of the Bundesliga season due to injury, starting just 23 league games, the 21 year old registered 10 goals and 9 assists. Of players to have made at least 20 appearances in the German top flight only 6 played fewer minutes per key pass (32), only 5 played fewer minutes per assist (225), only 4 played fewer minutes per accurate through ball (225) and only 3 played fewer minutes per successful dribble (24).

Kevin De Bruyne (Werder Bremen) - 7.58

The fourth of five new signings in our all star XI here, both Werder Bremen and Chelsea profited from a loan deal for young Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. Such was the 21 year old's success in the Bundesliga, there are now plenty of high profile suitors after the playmaker if Jose Mourinho decides he is dispensable, and his name has been mentioned as a potential makeweight in a deal to take Andre Schürrle to Stamford Bridge.

De Bruyne has proven to be a versatile option in midfield, playing in a central role more often than not, but also on either flank and even up front. The Belgium international, like Götze, scored 10 goals and picked up 9 assists this season, as well as creating 15 clear cut opportunities for teammates. Only 6 Bundesliga players made more key passes per game than the youngster (2.6), while only one attempted more crosses excluding corners (133).

Andre Schürrle (Bayer Leverkusen) - 7.62

Having already picked up 24 senior international caps at the age of just 22, it's clear the esteem in which Schürrle is held in his homeland. As mentioned, the wide forward has attracted concrete interest from the likes of Chelsea and, having helped his Leverkusen side to a third placed finish in the Bundesliga, it isn't hard to see why.

A player renowned for his tendency to drift in from the left and fire in powerful right footed efforts, Schürrle actually registered more shots than any other Bundesliga player (122) this season. Having scored 11 goals, a conversion rate of 9% certainly needs work if he is to reach the top level, but he's clearly not short of confidence and has also weighed in with 7 assists, while only Franck Ribery and Diego completed more successful dribbles (109).

Christian Benteke (Aston Villa) - 7.45

Undoubtedly one of the signings of the season in the Premier League, Christian Benteke's goals fired Paul Lambert's Aston Villa to safety, with the manager taking credit for what proved to be a coup for a relatively unknown player. It's fair to say that it's more than just English clubs that are aware of the Belgian's talent now, with the 22 year old emerging as one of the most sought after players in Europe.

After a promising start to his Premier League career, Benteke established himself as one of the best forward's in the league in the second half of the campaign, scoring more goals than any other player since the turn of the year (14). Netting 19 league goals in total, the Belgium international's strikes accounted for 40% of Villa's overall tally, which was the highest proportion of any player in England's top flight.

Adem Ljajic (Fiorentina) - 7.30

While much of the attention surrounding the Viola regards the future of Juventus and Arsenal target Stevan Jovetic, young Serbian forward Ljajic certainly finished the season in the better form. The 21 year old only started 21 Serie A matches for Montella's side but progressed as the campaign went on to become a key player in their eventually unsuccessful push for Champions League football.

With 11 goals and 8 assists to his name Ljajic actually contributed to more goals (19) than his aforementioned teammate, with only six Serie A players managing a better tally, all of whom played significantly more minutes. Indeed, only Andrea Cossu played fewer minutes per assist than the Fiorentina man (203), while only three players in Italy's elite league played fewer minutes per shot (20).