I had a chance to do some self-reflection this past weekend. One of the few things I realized was that I’m a club man. When I think about English football, I think in terms of clubs and rarely focus on the individuals. Part of this realization was after listening to the EPL Talk Weekend Preview Show and listening to Richard Farley and Kartik Krishnaiyer extol their appreciation for particular footballers. So going against the grain, I decided to force myself to focus on the players instead of the teams. And here is the result.

I’ve gone through the Premier League rosters and identified 40 players who I enjoy watching ply their trade on the pitch. I selected two players from each team. As you can imagine, it was difficult to narrow the list down to just 40 players such is the quality in the league. But I tried to identify players who, for me, are exciting to watch and who occasionally make me catch my breath while watching them.

Drumroll please. Here are my list of 40 players (in no particular order):

40. Scott Dann (Birmingham City)

I’m not surprised at all that several big Premier League clubs are rumored to be watching Dann very closely. This is a quality defender who is consistently on top of his game. And at this rate, don’t be surprised if he gets an call-up to the senior England squad sometime in the near future.

39. Ryan Giggs (Manchester United)

Ryan Giggs personifies class. As he has aged, he’s been able to adapt his game from one of speed to precision. He plays like a thinking man’s footballer, always looking for an opening to tear an opposition’s defense apart. Savor the joy of watching him play so you can tell your children that you saw him play.

38. Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)

Gareth Bale has been a player I’ve rated for a long time. When he was going through his doldrums at Tottenham, he was lighting up the international stage when he played for Wales. Since not that many people care to watch Wales on U.S. television, I felt I had a rare opportunity to see Bale perform at the highest level. And impress he did. This is a footballer who loves exploding down the wing with an incredible burst of energy. But perhaps the part of Bale’s game that is appreciated the least is his killer cross. Players like Shaun Wright-Phillips and Nani should pay attention and watch him. They could learn a lot.

37. Adam Johnson (Manchester City)

It’s not very often that you get to see a footballer in the Premier League who is allowed to dribble so much as Adam Johnson. Many teams like the more precise passing to get around players, but it’s wonderful to see Johnson take risks when he tries to dribble past players to create openings. Simply, for that reason, that’s why Johnson is so exciting to watch.

36. Andy Carroll (Newcastle United)

It’s no coincidence that centre forward Andy Carroll wears the same number 9 jersey that Alan Shearer made famous on Tyneside. Carroll has continually improved his game, and I believe there’s a bright future ahead of him where he still has a lot to learn. If he plays his cards right, Carroll has the potential to be a permanent part of England’s future.

35. Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal)

When Arsenal needed steel and consistency in defense, Vermaelen stepped in last season and hasn’t turned his back since. Most foreign players take time to adapt to the Premier League, but not Vermaelen. And the bonus with Vermaelen is that he’s great in the air and can score goals.

34. Asamoah Gyan (Sunderland)

Gyan is the standout player from the 2010 World Cup, who starred for Ghana and now is playing in the Premier League. While he’s still taking time to adapt to the Premiership, he’s already scored two goals for Sunderland (one in the league and one in the Carling Cup). But there’s still so much to come from the Ghanian.

33. Gael Kakuta (Chelsea)

I’ve only seen Kakuta play a handful of times, but each time I’ve seen him I’ve seen flashes of brilliance and moves that you would expect to see from a more senior player, not a 19-year-old. It’s no wonder that his playing career was mired in controversy when his previous club, Lens, complained that Chelsea induced the player to break his contract at the French club. Chelsea, as a result, were banned from buying or selling players until January, 2011 but this was later overturned by the Court of Administration for Sport.

32. Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers)

It’s been a frustrating time watching Holden play for Bolton because he’s performed so well on the pitch but he has had so many near-misses for the Trotters. Sometimes his shots have been blocked or go inches wide, but one of these days this exciting American player will score for Bolton and it’ll be well deserved. While his earlier career at Bolton was mired by a serious injury, it’s now time for the Scottish-born American to come shining through.

31. Moussa Dembele (Fulham)

The Belgian striker had an impressive start to the 2010-11 Premier League season until he got injured a couple of weeks ago. The former AZ Alkmaar striker has already scored three goals this season, but he’s also an expert passer of the ball and is definitely exciting to watch. At 23 years of age, Dembele has a bright future ahead of him.

30. Marc Albrighton (Aston Villa)

Albrighton was signed by Aston Villa at the age of 8 and has progressed through the club’s academy and reserves to this season where he made his first Premier League start for Villa on the opening day of the season. The talented right winger, who has earned caps for the England u-20 and u-21 sides, is always a joy to watch as he bombs down the wing and successfully crosses the ball into the box.

29. Gary Taylor-Fletcher (Blackpool)

Gary Taylor-Fletcher looks more like an actor from British TV shows such as Coronation Street or Eastenders than a midfielder for Blackpool. It’s inspiring to consider that Taylor-Fletcher began his career at non-league club Northwich Victoria and also played at other non-league clubs such as Grays Athletic and Dagenham & Redbridge. And his rise to fame hit a high point when he scored one of the important goals in the Championship Play Off Final to promote Blackpool to the Premier League.

28. Christopher Samba (Blackburn Rovers)

Blackburn’s Christopher Samba is definitely one of those footballers who puts his heart on the line whether he’s blocking shots with his body or diving head first towards goal to score for Rovers. The French-born Congolese defender joined Blackburn in 2007 and this season has deservedly been named captain.

27. Antolin Alcaraz (Wigan Athletic)

If you watched Paraguay’s games in the 2010 World Cup, you’ll be familiar with Antolin Alcaraz and how he scored against Italy in the game that ended 1-1. During the tournament, Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martinez, who also was a pundit for ESPN, mentioned on-air his delight at Alcaraz’s goal. And now the centre back, who signed for Wigan in May, has scored his first goal for the Latics, which occurred against Sunderland in September.

26. Joe Hart (Manchester City)

Out of everyone in the Premier League, Joe Hart is probably my most favorite professional. I have a soft spot for him because he began his career at Shrewsbury Town, the town where he was born. Shrewsbury is a town I visited often as a child. It was the big town my grandmother would take me to during my summer holidays, where we would go shopping. Even when Hart was at Shrewsbury, many Town supporters were convinced that he would go on to play for England, so I’ve had a chance to follow his career from that club to Manchester City and all of the teams he’s been loaned out to. Why Fabio Capello didn’t start him as England’s number one in the 2010 World Cup, I do not know. But this man has such a bright future ahead of him. And it’s well deserved.

25. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Strikers often go through droughts between scoring and not scoring at all for long stretches of time. When Sylvan Ebanks-Blake is on, he’s on. But when he’s off, he’s completely off as he was last season where he only scored two goals in the league (albeit he was injured for part of the season). But this season alone, the Wolverhampton striker has already scored two goals and is definitely one to watch.

24. Chris Brunt (West Bromwich Albion)

The Northern Irish winger, as we saw recently in West Brom’s victory against Arsenal, is a tireless winger with a deft touch and who can also score plenty of goals. Brunt was previously at Sheffield Wednesday where he established himself as a proven goalscorer.

23. Ryan Shawcross (Stoke City)

Love him or hate him, Ryan Shawcross is a rising star in England who has been the center of transfer speculation of moves to one of the Big Three or to clubs on the European continent. The defender is always committed to the cause of winning matches for Stoke City, the club he joined from Manchester United. He’s still yet to win his first England cap, although he was named as a substitute for England’s friendly against Egypt in March, 2010.

22. Mikel Arteta (Everton)

The talk about the chances of Mikel Arteta being selected to play for England have calmed down lately, but there’s no doubt that the Spaniard is one of the most gifted footballers in the Premier League. The difference he makes in the Everton midfield is immense. And the incredibly gifted footballer can only score when it matters. It’s hard to believe now that Arteta previously played at Rangers, which seems like a completely different world than life in the Premier League.

21. Victor Obinna (West Ham United)

While West Ham’s results haven’t gone the way they would like for most of the 2010-11 Premier League season, there’s no doubt that Victor Obinna has been a constant threat for the opposition. He’s had several chances in front of goal that have gone agonizingly wide and it seems almost inevitable that Obinna will soon get his first Premier League goal.

20. Pepe Reina (Liverpool)

Liverpool supporters worry about a lot of positions on their field and the lack of confidence that many of their players have now unfortunately featured. But the one member of the Liverpool team that fills their supporters with faith and confidence is “Mr Dependable” Pepe Reina. Sometimes the Liverpool goalkeeper is so good that you almost take him for granted. Sure, he’s made some comical mistakes in the past, as most goalkeepers do, but he’s also saved Liverpool from defeat on countless occasions.

19. Javier Hernandez (Manchester United)

El Chicharito is a footballer that we here at EPL Talk have been raving about all summer in anticipation of his move to Manchester United. And when he’s been given opportunities to play, he has shown flashes of brilliance. I believe it’ll take more time for him to become a first team regular at Manchester United especially considering the wealth of talent that is ahead of him in the squad, but this is a player who I believe will go on to become a Manchester United legend in due course.

18. Heurelho Gomes (Tottenham Hotspur)

Few will deny that Heurelho Gomes was a joke when he arrived at Tottenham Hotspur, guilty of some of the most basic mistakes and woeful on crosses. But give credit to goalkeeping coach Ray Clemence and, most of all to Gomes, for having the work ethic to improve his game where he is now one of the most exciting goalkeepers in the league. He’s been rocked by an injury, but I look forward to seeing him play back in the Premier League on a regular basis sometime soon.

17. Charlie Adam (Blackpool)

Prior to joining Blackpool, the 24-year-old midfielder had a football career in Scotland where he played for Rangers, St. Mirren and Ross County. Adam joined Blackpool on a permanent basis in 2009 where he quickly rose to fame especially after he scored a beautiful free kick in the team’s victory against Cardiff in the Championship Playoff Final. In his first season in the Premier League he has already adapted well to the pace of the division and has a bright future ahead of him.

16. Darren Bent (Sunderland)

Darren Bent is one of those modern footballers who give me hope. He understands the power of Twitter, loves playing soccer video games but, most importantly of all, he is clinical in front of goal. His only thing he needs to improve on is consistency. This is a striker who goes through droughts too often where he can’t score. And then he’ll go on a hot streak where he’s scoring all the time. If he can be more consistent, then the sky is the limit for Bent.

15. Kevin Nolan (Newcastle United)

Kevin Nolan had a bad rap among many soccer fans when he played for Bolton Wanderers. But if you looked beneath the surface of that Bolton team you would have seen a gifted midfielder who played more than 300 times for his club. When he moved to Newcastle United in January 2009, I thought this was a step down for Nolan but fair play to him, he battled hard and was one of Newcastle’s shining stars last season when the team deservedly won the Championship and returned back to the Premier League.

14. Glen Johnson (Liverpool)

It’s not surprising to read that right back Glen Johnson is a product of the West Ham United academy where he honed his skills and became one of the best right backs for England. Not only is the defender difficult to beat, but he also is very dangerous when going forward and has scored some spectacular goals in his career.

13. Scott Parker (West Ham United)

The one footballer who best personifies the Hammers is Scott Parker, a midfielder who plays with incredible steel and passion, and always gives 100%. It’s no wonder that several clubs were rumored to be trying to capture his signing this past summer. The former Charlton, Newcastle and Chelsea central midfielder is always exciting to watch.

12. Tim Cahill (Everton)

Without the Australian, Everton would be a completely different side. When the chips have been down for the Toffees in previous seasons, or even in particular games, Tim Cahill would seemingly come out of nowhere and rescue Everton. In some ways, I see a lot of resemblances to Steven Gerrard where the player has saved his team on so many occasions that you often wonder whether it’s time for his teammates to pick up the slack. But Cahill definitely still has that fighting spirit and you can tell without a shadow of a doubt that he is extremely proud to play for his club and country.

11. Ricardo Fuller (Stoke City)

When Stoke City are playing and they need that creative spark to open up the opposition, Ricardo Fuller is often the player that Tony Pulis calls on. And oftentimes Ricardo Fuller delivers. The skillful striker who has wonderful dribbling skills and balance often weaves his way through defenses and either scores or creates chances for his teammates to find the goal. Just as Jay-Jay Okocha was a joy to watch, so too is Fuller.

10. Charles N’Zogbia (Wigan Athletic)

Wherever the French left winger has gone, controversy follows him. The footballer, who famously got upset when Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear mispronounced his name much to N’Zogbia’s disgust, is one of those footballers who thrills you when he is on, but aggravates you when he makes simple mistakes. Overall, he’s talented more often than he’s clumsy. But with N’Zogbia you never know what to expect.

9. Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers)

Ryan Nelsen is one of those hard-nosed defenders that you would hate to come up against if you were a striker for the opposition. Nelsen fights for the cause and works incredibly hard as a defender whether it’s for Blackburn Rovers or New Zealand, the country of his birth. At age 32, his career his reaching its zenith but he still is a very enjoyable defender to watch in the Premier League.

8. Brede Hangeland (Fulham)

Speaking of strong defenders, Brede Hangeland was a revelation when he joined Fulham in 2008 and was on top of the world after scoring against Arsenal as well as being appointed captain of Norway in the same month. Since then he has continued to perform at the highest level and has now extended his contract at Fulham to the summer of 2013.

7. Lee Chung-Yong (Bolton Wanderers)

If Lee Chung-Yong was a right winger for a bigger club in the Premier League, he would be a household name. But since he plays for Bolton, which before Owen Coyle was the most unfashionable club in the Premiership, he sometimes goes forgotten. The skillful South Korean international is definitely a rising star in the Premier League, at the young age of 22.

6. Stephen Carr (Birmingham City)

Stephen Carr is a like a bottle of wine. The player, who began his career at Tottenham Hotspur, seems to get better with age and is now such a integral part of Birmingham City’s side. The wonderful thing about this right back is that he epitomizes everything that is pure about the old style of English football. He’s honest, hard working and fun to watch.

5. Michael Essien (Chelsea)

What can you say about Michael Essien that has not already been said? Essien is an incredibly gifted and versatile player who is best suited as a defensive midfielder, but also adept as a defender. To me, he’s the backbone of Chelsea and one of the footballers who should be the first name on the Chelsea team sheet each week.

4. Peter Odemwingie (West Bromwich Albion)

The Nigerian striker has been, by far, one of the best signings of the 2010-11 Premier League season. Odemwingie is such a breath of fresh air for the simple reason that he wastes few chances in front of goal. He’s calm, cool and collected when given an opportunity. He plays with immense confidence as if he’s played in the Premier League for years.

3. Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

While not the best goalkeeper in the Premier League, Hahnemann is unpredictable. When you least expect it, he pulls off an amazing save. The short-sleeved Hahnemann is best remembered for his success at Reading where he helped steer the club into the Premier League.

2. Brad Friedel (Aston Villa)

The former Columbus Crew goalkeeper has consistently been one of the most number one’s in England for several years. Friedel excelled at Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers, and is now a key component to Aston Villa. It’s hard to find any faults with Friedel such is his perfection in between the posts. Each season, his crucial saves are the difference between his team winning and losing, which translates into several points earned when they would otherwise been lost.

1. Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)

To call Fabregas an artist is not an exaggeration. The Spaniard is usually several steps ahead of his opponents by anticipating moves, creating the perfect pass and controlling the ball under pressure. He’s been an inspiration for so many players in the Premier League and is a key lynchpin to the success of Arsenal Football Club.

What do you think? Which players in the Premier League excite you who are not listed above? Post your recommendations in the comments section below. And remember, only two players per side is allowed.

Here are some of the recommendations of players who weren’t named above from the EPL Talk readers on Twitter: