IT'S that time of year when we ask you for your Saints player of the season.

Will you plump for defensive stalwarts Danny Higginbotham or Claus Lundekvam?

Or will wonderkid Theo Walcott win, even though he joined Arsenal in January?

Compiling the Daily Echo's 15-man shortlist was no easy task.

In what has been a difficult season for Saints, both on and off the field, three different managers have used a total of 41 players.

Just finding 15 who have made the minimum requirement of starts to qualify for the shortlist was not simple.

It's been a season of high player turnover, meaning three of our shortlisted players are no longer with Saints - Antti Niemi, Nigel Quashie and Walcott.

Andrew Surman falls just one short of the ten-game qualifying target but we have included the home-grown youngster for his promising performances.

Then there is Chris Baird, who finally seems to have come to the fore after struggling to hold down a regular place.

What about Ricardo Fuller, whose recent form has made him the club's leading scorer?

Nathan Dyer has flitted in and out of the team but never fails to excite while David Prutton and Matt Oakley have had a season dogged by injury but remain fans' favourites.

Noticeably, of the 15-player shortlist in last year's poll - which was won by Peter Crouch - only three remain at Saints; Higginbotham, Prutton and Lundekvam.

I believe the choice comes down to a straight pick between between Claus Lundekvam and Danny Higginbotham.

The one area Saints have done well in is defence, with one of the best 'goals against' columns in the league.

Claus just about gets the nod from me.

He struggled in the Premiership last season and many believed his best days may have been behind him.

But he has shown great character and resolve to bounce back.

Since George Burley has taken over and made him captain, he has thrived.

And after ten years at the club, it's an award he deserves.

Higginbotham is a close second for his committed and strong displays at both left back and centre half.

Third place is hard to call.

Do you look back to the start of the season when things were going well or the end of the season when things are going well?

Theo Walcott is a contender, and it wouldn't be a complete surprise if he won the main vote with the excitement he provided for those short few months lighting up an otherwise mostly forgettable campaign.

See the Daily Echo for details of how you can caast your vote for the Saints player of the season.