Top 100 players of 2015: Jamie Vardy, Harry Kane and Angel Di Maria feature

By James Walker-Roberts and Patrick Surlis

Saturday 26 December 2015 09:26, UK

Sky Sports is counting down the top 100 players of 2015 with the help of WhoScored.com.

After every game WhoScored.com gives players competing in Europe's top five leagues a mark out of 10 based on a wide range of statistical data. Each player then gets an average score for 2015, and to qualify for this countdown, players must have made at least 20 league appearances.

Our list of the top 100 players this calendar year kicked off on Tuesday with those ranked from 100 to 76, and we are revealing 25 more each day until we reach the No 1 player on Christmas Day.

From the players ranked between 75 to 51, you'll find stars from across Europe, including two Leicester attackers, a Monaco full-back and a Manchester United defender...

75. Vieirinha - Wolfsburg - 7.363 average rating

Wolfsburg ended the year on a high, dumping Manchester United out of the Champions League, and Vieirinha has been a chief creative force alongside Max Kruse and Julian Draxler.

74. Josip Ilicic - Fiorentina - 7.364 average rating

Ilicic finished as the club's joint-top scorer in 2014-15, and has seven goals in 11 Serie A starts this season with the club challenging top-of-the-table Inter Milan.

73: Filipe Luis - Chelsea and Atletico Madrid - 7.366 average rating

Chelsea's loss has certainly been Atletico Madrid's gain. Luis has slotted back in under Diego Simeone and continues to be one of the most consistent full-backs in La Liga.

72: Shkodran Mustafi - Valencia - 7.370 average rating

Mustafi has a habit of picking up yellow cards (eight in the league so far), but the Germany international has been statistically Valencia's best player this season with an average rating of 7.57 from 12 league appearances.

71: Daniel Parejo - Valencia - 7.370 average rating

The former Real Madrid midfielder cracked double figures in the league for Valencia last season, and is well on his way to repeating that feat again. Effective in attack and defence, Parejo will be central to Gary Neville's hopes of guiding his new club back towards the top four.

70: Salif Sane - Hannover - 7.372 average rating

Hannover may be having a tough time of it, but Sane is establishing a reputation as a physical, ball-winning defensive midfielder. Strong in the air and a threat from set-pieces, the Senegal international will be key to Hannover's survival hopes.

69: Felipe Anderson - Lazio - 7.379 average rating

Last season, Anderson's second at Lazio, was something of a breakout year for the Brazilian as he managed 10 goals and nine assists by April.

68: Tiago - Atletico Madrid - 7.380 average rating

A model of consistency in the middle of Atletico's midfield, Tiago helps set the tone for Simeone's talented bunch of title challengers.

67: Sofiane Boufal - Angers & Lille - 7.382 average rating

One of the most exciting dribblers in Ligue 1, Boufal has flourished since joining Lille from Angers in January.

66: Jamie Vardy - Leicester - 7.383 average rating

Against Tottenham in March, Vardy ended a six-month goal drought in the Premier League. A few months on, he had broken Ruud van Nistelrooy's consecutive goals record in the division. A remarkable 12 months for the Leicester forward.

65: Angel Di Maria - PSG - 7.391 average rating

He endured a disappointing end to his brief United career, but Di Maria has been quick to get back to his best in Paris. The winger has contributed to 24 goals already (13 goals, 11 assists) in 26 appearances for club and country this season.

64: Wendell - Bayer Leverkusen - 7.395 average rating

The Bayer Leverkusen left-back had no trouble adjusting to European football following his move from Brazil last year, improving as the season went on. Still aged just 22, his impressive form has reportedly caught the attention of one or two bigger clubs.

63: Marc Albrighton - Leicester - 7.395 average rating

Following his release by Aston Villa in May 2014, Albrighton helped keep Leicester up last season, and has been a key provider from the left wing this campaign, most recently assisting Riyad Mahrez's goal against Chelsea.

62: Bas Dost - Wolfsburg - 7.396 average rating

Dost started the year on fire, hitting 13 goals in eight competitive games before mid-March. That kind of hot-streak rarely lasts, but he still finished the season with 16 league goals in 17 starts.

61: Simone Missiroli - Sassuolo - 7.397 average rating

It's been a real team effort at Sassuolo, but in a side lacking star quality, Missiroli certainly looks the part of a leading man. He's dazzled defences all year long, and has helped the Modena club challenge the big names on a fraction of the budget.

60: Javier Pastore - PSG - 7.400 average rating

Pastore has barely featured for table-topping PSG this season, a late return from the Copa America and niggling injuries keeping him on the sidelines until mid-December. But the playmaker was an assist machine for the Parisian club in early 2015, ending the campaign with 12 assists, second only to Dimitri Payet.

59: Fabinho - Monaco - 7.400 average rating

After two seasons on loan, Monaco made his move permanent in May, and Fabinho won international recognition with Brazil a month later.

58: Lucas Biglia - Lazio - 7.404 average rating

Biglia was instrumental in securing a top three league finish for Lazio last season, only for Bayer to knock them out of the Champions League at the play-off stage. That was a harbinger of things to come in a difficult campaign for Lazio, but Biglia is one player whose performances have not dropped off.

57: Sergio Aguero - Manchester City - 7.407 average rating

It's been a familiar story for Aguero in 2015 - plenty of goals, but a few frustrating injuries too. He picked up a hamstring problem at the Copa America, and hobbled off against Southampton while playing for Manchester City in late November. When he plays, he's still lethal and his fitness over the course of the season could be key to City climbing back to the top of the Premier League table.

56: Christophe Jallet - Lyon - 7.413 average rating

A broken rib kept Jallet out of the side longer than he would have liked this season, but the right-back remains an important, and hugely experienced, part of Hubert Fournier's young squad.

55: Johannes Geis - Mainz & Schalke - 7.414 average rating

Geis has been a stand-out player for Schalke since his €12m (£8.9m) move from Mainz in June. He got off to a good start with a goal on his competitive debut.

54: Lars Stindl - Hannover & Borussia Monchengladbach - 7.416 average rating

Summer signing Stindl has swiftly become a hit with four Bundesliga goals in his first 15 league appearances. The midfielder has a knack for goals, having struck 10 in 21 league games for his former club last season.

53: Harry Kane - Tottenham - 7.417 average rating

Kane earned the PFA Young Player of the Year award after a 32-goal season for Spurs. England recognition followed, and he is already almost a certain pick for next summer's Euro 2016.

52: Chris Smalling - Manchester United - 7.418 average rating

Smalling has enjoyed a superb individual 12 months. He is in the top three for clearances, blocks and interceptions per game for United this term.

51. Naldo - Wolfsburg - 7.422 average rating

Naldo is a key player, alongside compatriot Dante, at the heart of the Wolfsburg defence. He demonstrated his considerable value at the other end with a double against United that helped eliminate Louis van Gaal's Manchester United from the Champions League.

That's part two done, keep an eye out for part three on Thursday when we run down the players from 50 through 26, and don't forget, we'll be counting down the top 25 of 2015 on Christmas Day.