And I doubt my selection will come as a major shock to anyone. Dion Dublin.

One or two push him close; Darel Russell would have given him a run for his money but for those back-to-back red cards; Gary Doc has been solid; Lee Croft has had his moments; David Marshall has rifled through his top drawer on occasion. But for me, it's Dion.

The 'Why?' bit was answered again at Ashton Gate.

The warm and lengthy ovation that followed the 38-year-old off the pitch on Saturday as City boss Glenn Roeder opted to throw the luckless
Maceo Rigters into battle for the last half an hour, said something.

It was a powerful reflection of the respect with which Dublin, who retires at the end of the season is held among the wider footballing public.

And, for me, in this age of Ashley Cole and Co, that should be recognised via the award of this year's Barry Butler Memorial Award.

It is very easy to argue that – on the level of his performances alone –Dublin could be 21 again and have another 17 years at the top of the professional game lying ahead of him and he would still be a worthy recipient of this season's Player of the Year gong.

But as you look around the game, there aren't too many left of his ilk.

They all strike me as decent lads. But will Ched Evans, Ryan Betrand and Kieran Gibbs be taking the applause in the second tier of English football in 20 years time?

Would you, if for the better part of the next ten years you could reasonably expect to be pulling £20,000-plus a week?

Minimum, if those three enjoy any kind of first team career with their 'mother' clubs.

Because that's what makes both Dublin and Teddy Sheringham stand out; both – by comparison – won't be in the same likely wage-bracket that the Gibbses and the Bertrands will in every likelihood enjoy; the goose hadn't quite laid the golden egg that this current generation of footballers enjoy. But both Dublin and Sheringham would have earned enough from the game in their Old Trafford and Villa Park years to have long left the game.

To my mind, football owes players of Dion's ilk.

And if he were to hold the Barry Butler Memorial Trophy aloft ahead of City's final game of the season, then the heart-felt round of applause would echo further afield than just Carrow Road.

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