FourFourTwo compile a list of the best players in the Football League at this time every year – and we do it by asking you, our readers.
We polled fans of all 72 Football League clubs, from Accrington Stanley to Wycombe Wanderers, asking supporters to name the standout stars in their team’s division – not including those in their own side.
Championship supporters gave us a ranking list of their top 10 players, with first place getting 10 points, second receiving nine, down to a single point for 10th.
In Leagues One and Two, supporters offered their top five, with five points for first, down to one point for fifth. The points were then totted up, and a weighting given to each division, to reveal our final half-century.
No countdown is ever met with universal agreement – we’ve learned that by now – so let the debate begin. If you’re convinced our voters have got it utterly wrong,
tell us how and why via Twitter including the hashtag: #FLTOP50
The top 50 Football League players this season: according to you
50. Hannibal Mejbri
Club: Birmingham City
Position: Midfielder
Age: 20
In another challenging season for Birmingham, the Manchester United loanee’s intense pressing has won him many a fan, either side of 10 minutes at the World Cup with Tunisia. If he channels his aggression better, he’ll go far.
HIGHLIGHT Pulling off a clever and perfectly-executed free-kick against West Brom to catch out David Button at his near post.
49. Andy Cook
Club: Bradford City
Position: Forward
Age: 32
Strong enough to be a focal point, skilled and mobile enough to thrive individually, ‘Cookie’ did threaten in patches last season but is now more consistent, with 18 league goals before March.
HIGHLIGHT Showing strength, spirit, technique and composure to score against Gillingham after nicking the ball on the touchline.
48. Paul Smyth
Club: Leyton Orient
Position: Forward
Age: 25
The pacy left-winger has made 2022/23 his sizzle reel, bagging
a wide array of majestic goals.
HE SAID “It’s quite strange, not scoring a worldie” – in August, referencing his wonder-strike against Barrow last March. He’s since netted a 20-yard peach,
a bicycle kick and a solo dribble he converted after being floored.
47. Will Collar
Club: Stockport County
Position: Midfielder
Age: 26
Dave Challinor’s mad Hatters mix up their game impeccably and Collar is a big part of their push for back-to-back promotions. He’s a fine passer with boundless energy in his box-to-box role.
DID YOU KNOW? With a dozen goals, even as a No.8, he nets in bursts: five in three in December, then five in five during February.
46. Dion Charles
Club: Bolton Wanderers
Position: Forward
Age: 27
Like many strikers to rise from non-league, Charles is dogged and aggressive. He transmits his work ethic a tad more selfishly through Ian Evatt’s instruction and has gained his rewards by keeping narrow: with 18 before March, he should be Bolton’s first player to hit 20 goals in a season (all competitions) since 2000/01.
45. Conor Chaplin
Club: Ipswich Town
Position: Forward
Age: 26
Having been Valerien Ismael’s pressing monster in Barnsley’s incredible Championship play-off campaign of 2020-21, Chaplin is the cute No.10 Kieran McKenna wanted at Ipswich: still physical, but instinctive in the final third.
THEY SAID “Conor is the best finisher I’ve ever worked with” – former Ipswich boss Paul Cook.
44. Tom Ince
Club: Reading
Position: Midfielder
Age: 31
Under his dad’s guidance at the Madejski, ‘young Thomas’ has had one of his most consistent seasons. Previously an enigma, he now sets the tone, chasing, harrying and cajoling while also bringing his individual ability.
DID YOU KNOW? Royals fansite The Tilehurst End awarded Ince Player of the Month four times. Anybody else fancy stepping up?
43. Laurence Vigouroux
Club: Leyton Orient
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 29
HE TOLD FFT "A lot comes down to the goalkeeping coach and the manager: they give me everything I need to prepare for the weekend, and we go by what we’ve seen in previous games. If I go by my instincts, I could go too high and get lobbed from the halfway line or something!" [Laughs]
42. Carl Piergianni
Club: Stevenage
Position: Defender
Age: 30
‘Pidge’, 6ft 1in, isn’t League Two’s tallest defender, but desire and a phenomenal leap ranks him among the best for aerial duels and in the division’s top 10 – in all positions – for shots inside the box. He’s an inspiration for Steve Evans’ shock promotion chasers.
DID YOU KNOW? He’s the EFL’s top-scoring centre-half, having netted seven goals before March.
41. Troy Parrott
Club: Preston North End
Position: Forward
Age: 21
The Tottenham striker is progressing well on loan at Preston, even if goals remain frustratingly out of reach. His pressing, dribbling and link-up play have not gone unnoticed at Deepdale since his return from an October lay-off.
THEY SAID Boss Ryan Lowe: “His work rate is phenomenal. For his size, he’s a bit of a unit inside.”
40. Owen Moxon
Club: Carlisle United
Position: Midfielder
Age: 25
Paul Simpson improves players out of possession; Moxon, signed from Scotland’s fourth tier, is the beneficiary. He’s still the creative maestro, though, a dozen assists aiding Carlisle’s promotion bid after nine years in League Two.
THEY SAID “It’s brilliant – I just hope no one reports it.” Simpson tries to keep December’s Player of the Month under the radar.
39. Bali Mumba
Club: Plymouth Argyle
Position: Defender
Age: 21
While the wing-back has acceleration that borders on frightening, he’s also well-rounded and very versatile, with a game based on more than simply attacking the flank – his touch, creativity and eye for goal make him an even greater threat veering infield. In truth, he’s already good enough to play for parent club Norwich.
38. Viktor Johansson
Club: Rotherham United
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 24
Johansson, an imposing figure and one of the Championship’s top shot-stoppers, gave Millers fans a pleasant surprise when he signed a new deal to 2025, amid reported interest. He has been as reliable as he has busy.
DID YOU KNOW? As of March 1, no other keeper in the division had racked up 100 saves this term. Johansson had made 132.
37. Leif Davis
Club: Ipswich Town
Position: Defender
Age: 23
Kieran McKenna has switched from 3-4-2-1 to 4-2-3-1, yet his side now get far more productivity from their left-back. Signed from Leeds for around £1 million, the Geordie has both the pace and stamina to dominate his flank, the composure to pick out good crosses and the determination to cover all his defensive bases.
36. Anis Mehmeti
Club: Bristol City
Position: Midfielder
Age: 22
Gareth Ainsworth left his mark on Mehmeti. The dribble king responded instantly if Wycombe lost the ball, preparing him well for a return to the Championship with Bristol City. The Albanian has sublime vision and agility.
DID YOU KNOW? He signed for Wycombe’s reserves from Essex Senior League side Woodford, but was quickly a first-teamer.
35. Ryan Manning
Club: Swansea City
Position: Midfielder
Age: 26
The Irish wing-back still has the forward drive he showed while at QPR, but his much improved awareness under Russell Martin has added goals to his creativity.
THEY SAID “He’s not renewing his contract – I love him, he loves it here, but we didn’t address the situation properly last summer,” said a miffed Martin in February.
34. Sam Hoskins
Club: Northampton Town
Position: Midfielder
Age: 30
HE TOLD FFT There are probably quite a few people surprised to see I’ve scored so many from midfield. I’ve always thought I had it in my locker, but it’s about producing it out on the pitch. I’ve probably been a tad more greedy as well. Sometimes it doesn’t come off and my team-mates might get a little annoyed, but a lot of the time they’ve been going in so they can’t really complain too much!
33. Josh Windass
Club: Sheffield Wednesday
Position: Forward
Age: 29
Playing off Michael Smith, Windass loses defenders with ease. He opened 2023 with five goals in a week by knocking Newcastle out of the FA Cup after hitting
a hat-trick against Cambridge.
HE SAID “I got bored of absolute numpties giving their opinions on football when they have no clue about it” – on quitting Twitter.
32. Oscar Estupinan
Club: Hull City
Position: Forward
Age: 26
Fans couldn’t believe their luck when Hull signed the Portuguese top tier’s fifth-leading goalscorer from 2021/22, especially when he struck seven times in August to become Championship Player of the Month. The goals slowed but the Colombian’s effort didn’t.
HIGHLIGHT An absurd first-time hooked volley of a last-minute equaliser against Huddersfield.
31. David McGoldrick
Club: Derby County
Position: Forward
Age: 35
Restricted to signing free agents, the Rams had to act smart – and they don’t come smarter than ‘Didzy’. The experienced, elusive forward has given Derby class and guile – and, even at 35, the odd turn of pace – as well as 20 league goal involvements so far.
HIGHLIGHT Scoring his first ever hat-trick, so late in his career. And then a second. And a third.
30. Ross Stewart
Club: Sunderland
Position: Forward
Age: 26
Blessed with two great nicknames (‘Loch Ness Drogba’ and ‘Highland Haaland’), Stewart was cursed with two cruel injuries, breaking up his 10 goals and three assists from just 13 league games, then ending his season in January.
DID YOU KNOW? He averaged a Championship-best 0.86 goals per 90 minutes this campaign.
29. Teemu Pukki
Club: Norwich City
Position: Forward
Age: 33
One word defines the fabulous Finn in this division: inevitable. At 33, Pukki remains a menace to defenders with his one-touch shooting and eye for an open team-mate. In a season he’d call disappointing, he still offered 17 goals and assists before March.
HE SAID “I’ve always felt loved at Norwich.” Will he be kept on?
28. Carlton Morris
Club: Luton Town
Position: Forward
Age: 27
Simultaneously a club-record signing and an absolute bargain at around £2m, Morris arrived from relegated Barnsley to be the perfect striker for Luton’s renewed play-off charge: strong, mobile and newly prolific. He’d been with Norwich aged 11 to 25 but played for them just once due to endless loans away; now settled, he’s oozing confidence.
27. Conor Hourihane
Club: Derby County
Position: Midfielder
Age: 32
HE TOLD FFT "I turned 32 in February, and I’ve been really fortunate to play for some big clubs in my career. Before the season began, I was asking myself: ‘What would excite me in my next move?’ Derby came along and I viewed it as a great opportunity to help a huge club to rebuild and get back to where they belong. It ticked every box."
26. Michael Cooper
Club: Plymouth Argyle
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 23
Rarely does a terrific goalkeeper play 120 League One games before being poached. If Argyle pull off an incredible promotion, their match-winning local hero will be why; if they don’t, his February injury will be why not.
DID YOU KNOW? He’d prevented a league-high 6.8 goals (per xG) before his untimely knee knack.
25. Marcelino Nunez
Club: Norwich City
Position: Midfielder
Age: 23
The scuttling schemer’s strong start faded, after 12 months of non-stop football due to Chile’s calendar. February’s Goal of the Season contender against Birmingham helped to reignite his first campaign in England.
DID YOU KNOW? Nunez made his Championship debut six days after playing in Chile, then played for Norwich five times in 14 days.
24. Aaron Collins
Club: Bristol Rovers
Position: Forward
Age: 25
Step up? What step up? After representing six teams in League Two, Collins has been effortlessly brilliant in his first stab at League One – quick, creative and clinical.
DID YOU KNOW? The Welshman reached ‘the double double’ (10 goals, 10 assists) on January 1. Two months later, no one else in the whole EFL had managed it.
23. Jed Wallace
Club: West Bromwich Albion
Position: Forward
Age 29
The legendary Lion became a Baggie and emerged with credit from Steve Bruce’s lackadaisical reign before thriving for Carlos Corberan. Loved for his industry, leadership and off-pitch work, Wallace has real quality as well.
HIGHLIGHT A millimetre-perfect cross, while sprinting, for Daryl Dike’s clincher at Sunderland.
22. Dan Barlaser
Club: Middlesbrough
Position: Midfielder
Age: 26
Returning to his native North East in January after his Rotherham performances wowed Boro, the ‘Geordie Pirlo’ dictates the pace of a game with an elan that few in the Championship can match.
HIGHLIGHT A first-half hat-trick of assists, with two laser-guided passes from deep, in the Millers’ 4-0 August mauling of Reading.
21. Jonson Clarke-Harris
Club: Peterborough United
Position: Forward
Age: 28
Though Peterborough haven’t matched high expectations, their captain is clinical in open play and deadly from 12 yards (penalties make up a quarter of his career tally for the Posh). He’s set for a second League One Golden Boot – one for each foot.
DID YOU KNOW? Call him ‘The Orthodontist’, because he has five braces this season already.
20. Josh Cullen
Club: Burnley
Position: Midfielder
Age: 26
Vincent Kompany knew that his Anderlecht midfielder was worth more than £3m. After his debut against Huddersfield in the EFL’s curtain-raiser, so did Sky viewers. Selfless, smart, strong, creative and producing moments of pure brilliance, Cullen’s been integral to Burnley’s style and success.
THEY SAID “He’s the ultimate player” – Kompany in January.
19. Zian Flemming
Club: Millwall
Position: Midfielder
Age: 24
Gary Rowett knew what he had to do after losing FFT’s No.23 on a free transfer. “Jed is a unique player,” the Lions boss said of the man who scored or assisted 57 goals in Rowett’s near-three seasons at the Den. “We must replace his goals and assists.”
And they did. Millwall spent a club-record £1.7m on Zian Flemming, whose dozen goals in 28 Eredivisie games had saved Fortuna Sittard from relegation by a single point. It was unusual for an outfit synonymous with recruiting domestic players to sign a rangy, technical operator with the close control of one schooled in Ajax’s academy. In October, however, Flemming’s credentials were confirmed at Rotherham by a savage 25-yard rocket using his ‘weaker’ left foot. Three goals in 10 days followed.
HOW ABOUT THAT!! 😍Zian Flemming with a 𝘿𝘼𝙕𝙕𝙇𝙄𝙉𝙂 strike for Millwall! ⚡✨ pic.twitter.com/m4GVMhPEzOOctober 5, 2022
Rowett installed Flemming as creator-in-chief for striker Tom Bradshaw, to devastating effect. In February, Rowett said, “The price we paid was a snip... he’s got character, physicality and that game-changing quality.” The dribbling Dutchman’s big impact – earning a Den chant of, “He comes from Amsterdam; he f**king hates West Ham” – is such that he’s also consulted by his manager on tactical matters.
“He’s a very intelligent player – you tell him and he can action those instructions on the pitch,” said Rowett after they discussed changes en route to the dressing room against Stoke. Flemming’s second-half winner was his 12th goal in a great first term. Almost too great. Rowett called him “the sort of player I’d expect to see in the Premier League”. Lions fans can only hope it’s with them.
18. Barry Bannan
Club: Sheffield Wednesday
Position: Midfielder
Age: 33
HE TOLD FFT It took us a while to get going – we were probably caught by surprise when we didn’t really know what the division was about. It threw many different things at us that we couldn’t deal with. From the second part of last term and most of this one, we’ve learned it’s a demanding league, a physical league, and we need to work extremely hard to pick up results. We’ve added players who know what it takes to get out of this league, which has helped as well.
17. Alex Scott
Club: Bristol City
Age: 19
Position: Midfielder
Pointing Spider-Man memes flooded Twitter as the Guernsey Grealish met the real thing in an FA Cup tie with Manchester City. Scott shares the low-slung socks, sinuous skill and England future.
THEY SAID “The way Alex glides over the pitch, I see why people compare him to Jack,” said the Robins’ Andi Weimann, who was also with Grealish at Aston Villa.
16. Anass Zaroury
Club: Burnley
Position: Forward
Age: 22
Kompany paid fees to bring nine players from Belgium to Burnley – and who can blame him? £3.5m Zaroury is developing as rapidly as he dribbles: he got called up for Belgium U21s in September, earned his first Clarets start in October and went to the World Cup with Morocco in November.
DID YOU KNOW? He first played 11-a-side at 16, due to Brussels’ technique-focused academies.
15. Taylor Harwood-Bellis
Club: Burnley
Position: Defender
Age: 21
HE TOLD FFT "You always hope that a loan spell turns out like this one! But having worked before with the manager, Vincent Kompany, I didn’t doubt that we’d have a good season.
I’d never have dreamed of playing under him when I was younger. It’s fantastic to know that I could go to him with anything, football-related, and he’d have an answer. He’s made it clear what he wants from me, how he wants me to do it and how I can get better at it. And you’ll be on the training pitch until you’ve perfected it – that’s just how he is. It’s a massive help to know you’ve got that as a player."
14. Anel Ahmedhodzic
Club: Sheffield United
Position: Defender
Age: 24
A tall, Bosnian-Swede from Malmo, just like Zlatan Ibrahimovic but representing the Balkan nation, the centre-back combines strong tackling and smooth technique. He scored twice against Reading in August with a perfect volley and a tricky, twisting header.
HE SAID “If we don’t win, I feel depressed until the next game.”
13. Ben Brereton Diaz
Club: Blackburn Rovers
Position: Forward
Age: 23
The Stoke-born Chilean couldn’t top a 2021/22 campaign that began with a South American Pepsi ad and ended with 22 league goals – especially now defenders know his in-to-out runs, er, inside-out – but he’s still a deadly finisher.
HIGHLIGHT An unstoppable hit against Sunderland, struck from 20 yards with his weaker foot.
12. Sander Berge
Club: Sheffield United
Position: Midfielder
Age: 25
Half of the Premier League were sniffing around the Norwegian midfielder in January, hoping to take advantage of the Blades’ financial woes. Berge, now given more attacking freedom, stayed put and had posted five goals and three assists before March, with his powerful runs standing out following a patchy 2021/22.
11. Ian Maatsen
Club: Burnley
Position: Defender
Age: 21
After catching the eye at Coventry, Chelsea’s rampaging wing-back being loaned to rampant Burnley was a recipe for fun. Playing in a back four without the ball, he has preserved his threat with it, offering nine goal contributions.
HE SAID “These video reveals are getting worse”, as Burnley’s socials had Minions unveil him.
10. Ismaila Sarr
Club: Watford
Position: Forward
Age: 25
While not in ace form, his 15 Championship goal involvements up to March 1 show why teams fear even a below-par Sarr. He might be Chris Wilder’s trump card in the play-off scramble: Senegal’s best World Cup since 2002 was partly down to him turning it on.
DID YOU KNOW? In four Hornets seasons, he’s had 10 managers.
9. Ilias Chair
Club: QPR
Age: 25
Position: Midfielder
Chair has had quite the season, with ups, downs and managers aplenty. But amid a rollercoaster 2022/23 that has taken him from the highs of a World Cup semi-final in Qatar, with surprise packages Morocco, to the lows of a winter winless streak that left QPR looking nervously at the wrong end of the Championship standings, Chair has been giving sleepless nights to second-tier defenders left, right and centre.
Yet that’s nothing new. Since Ebere Eze departed Loftus Road for Crystal Palace in the summer of 2020, Chair has stepped up to the plate and become QPR’s creative heartbeat, adding hard work to his flair and ingenuity. He takes a mean free-kick, too: just ask Middlesbrough keeper Zack Steffen, who was caught out by the miniature maestro’s quick thinking and accuracy from a seemingly unthreatening position during QPR’s February defeat at the Riverside Stadium.
QPR TAKE THE LEAD! 💥Ilias Chair capitalises on a mistake at the back from Sheffield United! pic.twitter.com/Hcy31oX1pMJanuary 2, 2023
In a campaign that kicked off promisingly for the Super Hoops but tailed off after manager Michael Beale left for Rangers, Chair nevertheless sat clear at the top of the Championship’s rankings for most chances created by the start of March, with 77. He was deservedly called up to Morocco’s 2022 World Cup squad, and the Atlas Lions sensationally became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals, upsetting Belgium, Spain and Portugal en route.
While Chair’s only minutes came in the third-place play-off against Croatia, he has since spoken about the unforgettable experience of being part of such a historic moment. QPR fans will hope it inspires Chair to more highs before the season is out.
8. Amad Diallo
Club: Sunderland
Position: Forward
Age: 20
HE TOLD FFT "When I heard about the chance to move to Sunderland, I spoke to Erik ten Hag to ask him if I could come, because I knew I’d have the opportunity to play more games and it would be good for me. I also spoke to [technical director] Darren Fletcher and he agreed that Sunderland would be beneficial for my development.
"Since I’ve been here, he’s messaged me a lot to see how I’m getting on. He sends his congratulations when I score a goal or put in a good performance. It’s nice to know he’s watching and making sure everything’s OK.
"It’s important for any player to get minutes on the pitch, especially for young players. Football is about confidence, but you need to play to build up that confidence and I’m pleased that Sunderland are giving me that chance now. I want to get as much as I can out of this loan and keep doing well for Sunderland.
"That will help me to return to Manchester a better footballer."
7. Joao Pedro
Club: Watford
Position: Forward
Age: 21
HE TOLD FFT "England is a very different country, so adapting to a new place has its challenges. When I left Brazil, I was getting regular football at Fluminense and beginning to make a name for myself – so to arrive here and not play much at first, not knowing how to communicate, having to deal with the cold, being away from friends and family... it was difficult.
"Leaving your comfort zone is never easy, but it’s allowed me to learn another culture. I now speak English and fully understand it. When you move abroad aged 18, it’s easier to absorb it all than if I had done it at 21 or 22. I’m experienced now, and wearing the captain’s armband this campaign has meant a lot to me.
A SWEEPING counter-attack goal from Watford! 🔥💥 pic.twitter.com/rZXVqlljKoApril 10, 2023
"It was actually very funny! [Laughs] I was returning from injury and had played 30 minutes or so in the previous game, so I was expecting to start again on the bench, but the coach said, 'I think you should start today.' I was like, 'No, I’d prefer to play the second half: the match will be more open and I’ll be able to create more chances.'
"We discussed it and agreed it was best that I started – what I didn’t know was that he’d planned to make me captain that day! When I saw the armband I said, 'No, not me – take it to Tom Cleverley.' [Laughs] It was a great gesture."
6. Nathan Tella
Club: Burnley
Position: Forward
Age: 23
Southampton’s call to loan out Tella aged even worse than their appointment of Nathan Jones. Burnley may pass Tella’s parent club on their way up, thanks to the former gymnastics prodigy’s effervescent displays in attack.
HIGHLIGHT A first-ever hat-trick, at Preston, including an exquisite strike with his weaker left foot
5. Josh Brownhill
Club: Burnley
Position: Midfielder
Age: 27
After two goals in 78 top-flight appearances for Burnley, Brownhill got four in his first six following relegation. A No.8 in shirt and role, he accepted a new licence to attack from midfield; then the forwards hit form and he moved back to set them up instead.
DID YOU KNOW? He leads the league for goal-creating actions.
4. Oliver Norwood
Club: Sheffield United
Position: Midfielder
Age: 31
The consistent conduit through which United’s easy-on-the-eye play has passed since 2018, and a gifted technician and dead-ball specialist who’s also won more tackles than any other player in the division, Norwood does it all.
DID YOU KNOW? He played youth cricket for the same team, Burnley, as England’s legendary Test bowler Jimmy Anderson.
3. Iliman Ndiaye
Club: Sheffield United
Position: Forward
Age: 23
Iliman Ndiaye’s rise from YouTube footballer to World Cup star has been rapid, but it’s no surprise to anyone who has seen the Sheffield United forward in full flow.
The Senegal international was playing in non-league three years ago and made his maiden start for the Blades only at the start of last season, yet he’s now universally recognised as one of the second tier’s top talents.
The noise. The crowd. The Bladesmen. 😍A work of art, courtesy of Iliman Ndiaye & James McAtee. 🎨 pic.twitter.com/E7MqIvfHSAApril 19, 2023
Things didn’t look so promising after unsuccessful trials with Chelsea and Southampton left the former Boreham Wood youth-teamer hoping to get noticed by turning out for YouTubers Rising Ballers. The plan paid off, and since joining Sheffield United in the summer of 2019, Ndiaye’s determination has come to the fore – not to mention his ever-increasing ability, from his excellent weight of pass to his finishing in congested central areas.
After a loan spell at seventh-tier Hyde United, Ndiaye made his Blades debut in the Premier League at the end of the 2020/21 campaign. Relegation opened a window of opportunity for the youngster and he bewitched defences on his way to registering seven goals in 35 Championship appearances last term, using the fancy moves he learned from training with his choreographer father.
Ndiaye has kicked on again this term, averaging a goal contribution every other game – including five assists, each of them vital, in four league matches straight after the World Cup – and netting several times in Sheffield United’s attempt to return to the Premier League. He also starred for Senegal in Qatar, coming off the bench to assist the third goal in a 3-1 win over the hosts, in only his third international cap at any level. That earned him a starting berth in the Lions of Teranga’s final two encounters of the tournament, against Ecuador and England.
Those performances haven’t gone unnoticed, and after reportedly being a target for Everton in January, Ndiaye is sure to have more Premier League suitors vying for his signature this summer, even if Sheffield United go up first.
2. Chuba Akpom
Club: Middlesbrough
Position: Forward
Age: 27
It seems scarcely believable that Akpom was poised for the Middlesbrough exit last summer. But after the Teessiders failed to land all of Chris Wilder’s transfer targets, the frontman grasped his chance and is now a mainstay in Michael Carrick’s starting XI.
This campaign has been his most prolific by a distance. Having never previously hit double figures during a league season, Akpom reached that landmark on Boxing Day.
"Chuba Akpom writes another chapter in his INCREDIBLE tale!" 📖✍️ pic.twitter.com/m64ebN3LKwApril 14, 2023
He has been deadly since the über-attacking Carrick replaced Wilder at the Riverside in October, scoring 18 goals in the former Manchester United midfielder’s first 20 games in the dugout, as Boro turned third-from-bottom into third. It has moved the former England U21 international well clear in the race for the Championship Golden Boot, and he isn’t even playing as an out-and-out striker.
Akpom, 27, finally seems to be delivering on the promise he showed as a teenager at Arsenal. He made a handful of appearances for the Gunners’ first team but spent most of his time out on loan, failing to set the world alight in any of his five short spells at Brentford, Coventry, Nottingham Forest, Hull and Brighton.
Prior to this campaign, Akpom’s best work came abroad, first at Belgium’s Sint-Truiden and then in Greece, where he was part of an historic PAOK side. In his debut season, the Londoner helped PAOK to win the double, scoring the only goal of the 2019 Greek Cup Final a week after they’d clinched their first top-flight title in 34 years – unbeaten.
Despite that success, a return to England in 2020 with Middlesbrough seemed to be heading southwards when Akpom went back to PAOK on loan last term, before being touted for a transfer. Given his heroics since, it’s unlikely Boro will be allowing Akpom to leave again any time soon.
1. Viktor Gyokeres
Club: Coventry City
Position: Forward
Age: 24
There’s no better feeling than being loved. Just ask Viktor Gyokeres.
The Coventry striker has transformed from misfiring loanee to one of the Championship’s hottest properties over 18 goal-laden months in the Midlands, and he puts all of his recent success down to feeling the warm embrace he has received there.
Gyokeres smashes the ball past Tim Krul to make it 3-2 🤯THIS IS THE CHAMPIONSHIP AT ITS FINEST 😍 pic.twitter.com/1uN2iv9mW7January 21, 2023
Being voted FourFourTwo’s best player in the Football League seemed a long way off for Gyokeres as recently as 2020/21 when, having been unable to set Germany’s second tier on fire with St Pauli, he then scored just three goals in a combined 30 Championship loan appearances for Swansea and Coventry.
Although that paltry return didn’t convince his parent club, Brighton, that Gyokeres warranted a chance in the Premier League, Sky Blues boss Mark Robins saw enough in the Sweden international’s performances to sanction a £1 million transfer in July 2021.
Gyokeres has repaid that faith and then some. Since becoming a permanent member of Coventry’s squad, he has developed into their talisman, plundering 18 times in all competitions last season and almost topping that total before spring this term as City launched a remarkable play-off assault – remarkable in that they’d had to wait until October for their first win, having played five of their first six league games away from the Coventry Building Society Arena due to the state of its pitch, which had hosted the rugby sevens at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Gyokeres’ output is lethal but varied. Once a winger, now converted into a line-leading centre-forward, he is vibrant, skilful and able to create chances for himself.
The goal that:⬆️ Put @Coventry_City up to eighth in the @SkyBetChamp ⚽️ Took Viktor Gyokeres to 11 in the league#EFL | #SkyBetChampionship pic.twitter.com/3nriX4Auc7December 22, 2022
He has scored every kind of goal this term, from countless touch-and-hit finishes to a solo dribble from inside his own half against Wigan, or the poacher’s deflection in beating his marker to the front post for his 15th league strike of the season, against Sunderland in February.
Now those headline-grabbing displays are rumoured to have many more clubs than just Coventry willing to show Gyokeres the love…
