Spurs icon Jermaine Jenas reveals why he 'hated' playing in the EFL Championship - Sheffield United stars helped make it 'hell' | OneFootball

Jermaine Jenas has opened up on his struggles in the EFL Championship

The EFL Championship is one of football’s most demanding divisions, due to its unique combination of top quality and intense physicality.

Across 46 gruelling matches, players will be tested to every inch of their being and only those who can truly adapt to the competition will fully master English football’s second-tier.

Talented stars have performed at the elite level in other countries around the world, but haven’t been able to fully compete in the Championship, which highlights just how much of a challenge it presents.

One player who has recently spoken out on the unique demands Championship football brings is Jermaine Jenas, who enjoyed a successful football career with teams such as Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Jenas was part of the last Spurs side to win a domestic trophy, helping clinch the EFL Cup in 2008, but has been vocal about how much he struggled to adapt to life in the second-tier.

Jermaine Jenas opens up on EFL Championship struggles

Jenas got his first taste of Championship football with Nottingham Forest in 1999, following their relegation from the Premier League.

Forest had a decent squad that season, which featured operators such as Carlton Palmer, David Platt and Andy Gray, and eventually finished 14th in the table.

One thing struck Jenas immediately once he started to play regular football in the division and it took the former Spurs man some time to fully adapt to his surroundings.

Speaking on the beastmodepodcast hosted by Adebayo Akinfenwa, Jenas discussed his distaste for the division.

“That place was hell,” stated Jenas. “In the Championship, what I realised was that nobody has got any respect for anybody.

“They don’t care what your name is. I remember playing against Bradford, and they had Benito Carbone playing for them. You went to Sheffield United and it was that era of Tonge, Michael Brown and Keith Curle.

“I’ve got Muscat trying to break my leg every two minutes. I could not wait to get out of the Championship. There wasn’t a moment when I thought I was too good for the Championship.

“From a technical side of things, I handled things with ease. But the physical element to the Championship, I had to learn.”

The EFL Championship’s unique challenge is why it is largely adored

As Jenas mentioned, even players who have the technical ability to succeed at the highest level often struggle to make an impact in the Championship, which is why it presents such a unique challenge to footballers.

Not solely relying on your technique and instead having to learn, watch matches and slowly adapt to the division is something that players won’t have to do at every level they operate at, and that makes playing in the second-tier such an enticing prospect for those willing to challenge themselves at a certain point in their careers.

Jenas went on to enjoy a successful top-flight career and was able to represent Tottenham Hotspur on the European stage. However, that may not have been possible without the lessons he learned in the Championship, which isn’t an experience unique to him.

Even one of world football’s elite stars, Harry Kane, couldn’t enjoy the prolific form he has since become synonymous with in the division and instead had to use his time in the league to grow as a footballer.

Therefore, no matter how much football changes as a sport, the EFL Championship will always present a perfect blend of skill and physicality, which makes it an enticing product to consume.