A high-octane and scintillating season of Hero Indian Super League (ISL) has come to an end with every team having the respective heroes who helped their teams to take them to greater heights.

Few players have deservedly come under the limelight but there have been individuals who worked in the shadows and paved the way for their teams to climb the ladder of success without gaining the same amount of accolades.

Hero ISL experts Erik Paartalu, Phil Brown and Paul Masefield who have been providing their insights all season long, haved picked out these players who have been unsung heroes for their teams.

Erik Paartalu: Phurba Lachenpa

To be a part of Des Buckingham's attack-minded set-up and to be largely solid  throughout a season watching most of the action unfold at the other end, Phurba Lachenpa made this season his own with dominating performances guarding the League Shield winners' goal. 

The Sikkim-born player displayed saves of highest order and eye-opening reflexes from the first match of the season against defending champions Hyderabad FC to the last fixture of the season against Bengaluru FC where he stood strong to keep his side's hopes for the Hero ISL final alive. The shotstopper made 64 saves, third-highest amongst all goalkeepers and behind only finalists Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Vishal Kaith. He kept seven clean sheets, the same as Sandhu and Gurmeet Singh and deservedly earned himself a national team call up for the Hero Tri-Nation Tournament.

Phil Brown: Juan Ferrando 

After Juan Ferrando switched camps from FC Goa to ATK Mohun Bagan, the Mariners believed in how the Spanish tactician could guide the Kolkata Giants to glory and that's how it turned out.

ATK Mohun Bagan started the season with a defeat against Chennaiyin FC only to drop four points out of 24 in the next eight fixtures with impressive victories against defending champions Hyderabad FC and Kerala Blasters FC despite losing important players like Joni Kauko and Florentine Pogba to injuries. The 42-year-old displayed his understanding and tactical prowess to guide the Mariners to the third spot in the league standings. To come out on the winning side first against Odisha FC in the eliminator round and then to edge out the reigning champions over two-legged Semi-finals, ATK Mohun Bagan looked a team full of passion, hunger and a set of players who trusted their head coach.

The final against Bengaluru FC was a fine example of how Ferrando's substitutes fired in the penalty shootout to earn their first-ever Hero ISL Trophy.

Paul Masefield: Carl McHugh

My unsung Hero is Carl McHugh, I don't think he gets the accolades that he should. Probably wouldn't have been in the starting line-up with Joni Kauko being fit with Tiri earlier on as well. Was he going to be the spare part? I think once he stepped into that team, he really really did make them tick, particularly defensively, where he screened just in front of that backline but also grabbed two important goals throughout the season that were vitally important for his side.

But I just don't think he gets the credit he deserves. He gets into positions that kills players going forwards, and when he gets the ball, he keeps it simple. You can't ask for more than that.