Exclusive: Don Goodman names 3 players who are too good for the EFL Championship right now | OneFootball

Don Goodman has plucked three names out of a very competitive Championship to be recognised currently as Premier League standard

Year by year, the Championship grows in quality, and more and more names get floated around when it comes to discussing who is perhaps playing at a level below their skill set.

Several players have been poached by sides in the Premier League off the back of excelling in the second tier in recent seasons.

The likes of Ebere Eze, Joao Pedro, and Michael Olise now play for some of the biggest clubs in Europe — but their journeys all started in or progressed through the Championship.

And that's just naming three. There have been other examples previously, and there are plenty more expected to follow in their footsteps in the future.

In an exclusive interview with Football League World, EFL pundit Don Goodman has given his views on who he feels are the three current Championship players who are clearly too good for the level, and will be playing top-flight football sooner rather than later.

Don Goodman names three players who are too good for the Championship

The question always causes a divide, as there are multiple answers to choose from. Former Wolves and West Brom striker, Don Goodman, acknowledged this and actually mentioned another three who could join his list.

"It's a very tough question to answer when narrowing it down to three, because I feel that there are a lot of Championship players currently operating who would definitely do a job in the Premier League," he said.

"I'll leave the likes of Carl Rushworth off the list, who has been sensational for Coventry City, similarly with Jack Rudoni, obviously injured, but has been sensational, Abdul Fatawu at Leicester City..."

Leaving those three off may cause some conversation, but the three Goodman has gone with aren't really up for debate, either.

"The three I'll nominate will be Viktor Johansson, who, year after year, has been the best player at Stoke City. He saved them, literally single-handedly, from relegation last season.

"Hayden Hackney, for obvious reasons. A midfielder who can do literally everything, from covering ground, has a goal in him, likes to pass forwards and really hurt defences.

"And Milan van Ewijk, who I think is the best right back in the league. Sensational with and without the ball, very, very quick as well.

"So there are six who I feel definitely have the ability to play in the Premier League."

The quality in the Championship is increasing every year

Some people may jokingly accuse Don Goodman of cheating by mentioning a further three players to the three he shortlisted, but that ultimately highlights how good the Championship is in terms of individual personnel.

And it's not like the three he mentioned are outlandish choices, either. This past summer, Johansson was on the radar of West Ham United, Hackney was linked with a move to Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world, and van Ewijk looked all but certain to be heading to Germany to join Wolfsburg before the move stalled.

Evidently, these three names all have top-flight potential, and in another world, one or two (or maybe even all three) would have been playing in a top-five European league this season.

Instead, they're still gracing the Championship with their quality, but it won't be long before those aforementioned rumours eventually become reality.

With Coventry, Middlesbrough and Stoke all currently occupying the top three places in the division, it puts the onus on the three sides to secure promotion, ensuring that it's with them that all three eventually play Premier League football.