Who is the most solid defender in the Premier League?

When it comes to judging a player's season, the stats never lie. Mo Salah won the Golden Boot to back up his formidable performances and Kevin De Bruyne was crowned king of assists. But who is the Premier League's most solid defender?

Well, look no further than Brighton's Shane Duffy. The Irishman missed just one game in the Seagulls' debut Premier League season and proved to be a crucial brick in his side's defensive wall.

Not the flashiest player on the pitch, Duffy let's the numbers do the talking. The centre-back tops the leaderboards for blocks (59), clearances (327) and headed clearances (237) for the 2017/18 season. 

Interestingly, the man he pipped to top spot on the blocks chart was team-mate and partner in crime Lewis Dunk (58) who showed himself equally as willing to put his body on the line for his team.

In terms of clearances and headed clearances, Duffy blew the opposition out of the water. The closest player to him in both categories is West Brom's Ahmed Hegazi who recorded 57 fewer clearances and 85 fewer with his head. 

At just 26-years-old, the Irishman has shown that he has the quality to compete at the highest level in England. With his reliable defending, he was key to Brighton retaining their top-flight status and will surely be one of their most valuable assets next season.