Leonid Buryak: My team of 2014

Former USSR midfielder and Ukraine coach Leonid Buryak picks his Team of the Year 2014, featuring a defensive benchmark, an ideal midfield partnership and a pair of extraterrestrial forwards.

View Buryak's choices below and submit your own selection before 13.00CET on Tuesday 6 January.

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Thibaut Courtois: A role model for today's goalkeepers. His style is unpretentious but stable and reliable. He has excellent positioning skills and that helps him feel confident both in goal and off his line.

Philipp Lahm: A truly versatile performer who is ready to fill any position. He has an iron will and deserved to become a world champion. Germany will struggle for quite a while to find a decent replacement.

Sergio Ramos: He has a great football brain that allows him to read the game, so he produces one bright season after another. He is also actively involved in attack and scores a lot with both his feet and his head besides his main role as a defender.

Vincent Kompany: Technical agility, high mobility and an ability to anticipate opponent's moves are a must for defenders. The Belgian combines all these qualities and is pretty close to a benchmark centre-back.

David Alaba: Quite a number of eminent left-backs hung up their boots recently. I would single out Jordi Alba and David Alaba from the new generation and I go with the latter as he's more versatile.

Arjen Robben: A player with magnificent work ethic. He was among the best in Brazil and did everything to take the title to the Netherlands. He's unbelievably coordinated and almost tireless.

Luka Modrić: He's not the biggest player in the game but is still a crowd-pleaser. He always gives his all and has the vision to spring a surprise.

Yaya Touré: It's hard to imagine Manchester City without him. His technical ability and efficiency in a supporting role are truly amazing. They would form an ideal pair of midfielders, Touré and Modrić.

Cristiano Ronaldo: A genius, pure and simple. I don't know if there's anything new I can say about him. A work addict and all-rounder. A player from the future.

Zlatan Ibrahimović: A unique forward who is able to create a spectacle on the pitch out of nothing. At the same time, he's a big team player and not afraid to work. He is especially good as the second striker.

Lionel Messi: Just like Cristiano, he is an extraterrestrial from another world and time – an inconceivable talent. He's a living legend despite being only 27. He has many years ahead.

Leonid Buryak was talking to Igor Linnyk.