Championship
Goalkeeper: Mark Travers (Bournemouth) Made a name for himself on his Premier League debut against Tottenham three years ago and established himself as Bournemouth’s No 1 en route to promotion, staving off competition from the Newcastle loanee Freddie Woodman. The 23-year-old has had an interesting 12 months. Last May, five years on from for scoring on debut for Weymouth, he headed in a stoppage-time equaliser in the Hampshire Senior Cup and ended this season with the golden glove.
Centre-back: Joe Worrall (Nottingham Forest) Captain. Leader. Legend? Worrall may have acquired that status even before leading Forest to the Premier League, and wiped tears from his eyes as he tried to put the achievement into words at Wembley. Joined his boyhood club aged 14 and has long demonstrated what playing for Forest means to him, be it airing his distaste for Derby or his party trick: going to ground to clear the ball with his head. “We don’t mind suffering,” he said. “We’ve suffered for a long time off the pitch.”
Centre-back: Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn) At the heart of a three-man backline the Republic of Ireland defender, who joined Blackburn from Dublin side Belvedere in 2011, enjoyed arguably his finest season to date. Rovers ran out of steam as their playoff push faded – they won three games after February – but Lenihan more than played his part as Rovers threatened to disrupt the expected order. Out of contract this summer, Blackburn are in talks to extend the long-serving centre-back’s stay.
Centre-back: Lloyd Kelly (Bournemouth) It is just as well Bournemouth got over the line because in April Scott Parker declared Kelly – the youngest captain in the Championship – too good for the division. Eddie Howe knew he was getting a special talent when Kelly signed from Bristol City in 2019 amid interest from several top-flight clubs and the athletic defender, who has also played at left-back, has looked at home at centre-back. After a stop-start and injury-hit first season, Kelly is making up for lost time.
Right midfield: Djed Spence (Nottingham Forest) A major player in Forest’s turnaround. The Middlesbrough loanee excelled at wing-back, his gallivanting runs making him a key outlet, prompting a call-up to England Under-21s. His release by Fulham in 2018 looks more mystifying by the day. Boro’s Isaiah Jones, in effect the reason Spence was allowed to depart on loan, equally starred on the right flank. “Trials and tribulations happen,” Spence said after promotion. “You’ve just got to get on with it and work hard.”
Centre midfield: Lewis O’Brien (Huddersfield) Perhaps the best player in the playoff final, it was apt that O’Brien capped a fine campaign with another clean and classy display, even if it ended in defeat. At the crux of Huddersfield’s promotion push, O’Brien’s zip and zest drove them to third place. Joined as an under-11 and signed a new long-term contract last September. A season-ticket holder at Manchester City, O’Brien has earned top-flight admirers this campaign.
Centre midfield: Morgan Gibbs-White (Sheffield United) Displayed touches of class to register 12 goals and 10 assists on loan from Wolves, whose manager, Bruno Lage, has committed to reintegrating the attacking midfielder into his squad for next season. Struck up a good relationship with Billy Sharp, who profited from Gibbs-White’s eye for a killer pass. The 22-year-old was pivotal to helping the Blades reach the playoffs and took home the player of the season and young player of the season gongs at Bramall Lane.
Left midfield: Harry Toffolo (Huddersfield) A £500,000 signing from Lincoln two years ago, he has thrived under Carlos Corberán and proved a threat in a campaign that ended in playoff pain. Particularly for Toffolo, who appeared to be fouled inside the box, only for the referee, Jon Moss, to book him for simulation. His teammate Sorba Thomas also shone, while Hull’s Keane Lewis-Potter and Blackpool’s Josh Bowler impressed, especially against Fulham who released him as a youngster.
Right wing: Brennan Johnson (Nottingham Forest) There are no end of highlights for Johnson, whose searing pace and direct running have proved nightmarish for defences. He has been electric since scoring his first Forest goal to earn a point at Derby in August and his performance against Leicester in the FA Cup in February was reflective of his protagonist’s role. He has a nose for being in the right place at the right time and his slide-rule passes and relationship with Spence helped Forest become a force.
Striker: Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham) Ordinarily, Joel Piroe and Ben Brereton Díaz would have been in with a shot but it is impossible to look beyond Mitrovic’s record-breaking 43 goals, which he achieved with a match to spare. Add his stoppage-time winner for Serbia in Porto to secure a place at the World Cup and it has been a fruitful season. “He knows that from tomorrow I’ll demand more and more from him,” Marco Silva, the Fulham manager, said. The Premier League awaits.
Left wing: Andi Weimann (Bristol City) The numbers speak for themselves. A return of 22 goals and 10 assists in a team that flattered to deceive and flirted with relegation for much of the season is extraordinary. Even more remarkable, the former Aston Villa forward came into the season after surgery for an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Weimann is a workaholic and a manager’s dream – he has played everywhere from wing-back to up front. Earned Austria recall in March.
Manager: Steve Cooper (Nottingham Forest) Last week Jürgen Klopp seemed embarrassed at beating Cooper to the League Managers Association award for manager of the season given the way the Welshman transformed Forest, guiding the club from the foot of the table to the Premier League in eight months. Forest’s 20th permanent manager since 1999 has secured hero status. Corberán and Nathan Jones equally worked wonders at Huddersfield and Luton respectively.
League One
Michael Cooper (Plymouth); Jack Whatmough (Wigan), Harry Darling (MK Dons), Michael Ihiekwe (Rotherham); Paddy Lane (Fleetwood), Barry Bannan (Sheffield Wednesday), Cameron Brannagan (Oxford), Callum Lang (Wigan); Scott Twine (MK Dons); Ross Stewart (Sunderland), Will Keane (Wigan).
Player of the season: Scott Twine (MK Dons) No player had more goal involvements in the division than Twine (20 goals, 13 assists), who was on loan at sixth-tier Chippenham Town as recently as 2020. MK Dons paid Swindon £300,000 at a tribunal for the forward, who has developed physically and refined his all-round game while retaining his penchant for a long-range strike or free-kick. Twine started last season on loan at Newport in League Two and looks destined to step up again.
Manager: Paul Warne (Rotherham) Perhaps the biggest compliment is that for so long Warne made a third promotion in five seasons look relatively easy, even if they squeaked over the line in the end, having to settle for second behind Wigan, whose manager, Leam Richardson, also deserves huge credit for coping with the remnants of administration and securing an instant return to the Championship. Warne again absorbed the loss of key players in the close season and lifted the Papa John’s Trophy.
League Two
Jojo Wollacott (Swindon); Nathan Smith (Port Vale), Connor Taylor (Bristol Rovers), Pierce Sweeney (Exeter); Kane Wilson (Forest Green), Ebou Adams (Forest Green), Timothy Dieng (Exeter), Antony Evans (Bristol Rovers), Elliot Anderson (Bristol Rovers); Dominic Telford (Newport), Matty Stevens (Forest Green).
Player of the season: Kane Wilson (Forest Green) The wing-back was a constant threat down the right flank and ended up with a joint-league-high of 13 assists. At times Wilson in effect operated as an extra forward for the division’s highest scorers. The 22-year-old left boyhood club West Bromwich Albion without a league appearance but, after a series of loans, put down roots in the Cotswolds two years ago. Has not looked back and a move back up the pyramid beckons.
Manager: Rob Edwards (Forest Green; now with Watford) That Edwards will start next season at Watford speaks volumes for the job he did in his first season as a Football League manager, leading Forest Green to the title and turning heads playing an enticing style. Matt Gray should be a close runner-up for steering Sutton United to a point off a playoff spot and a cup final in their first season in the Football League, while Darrell Clarke overcame personal tragedy to lead Port Vale into League One via Wembley.
