All 2026/27 EFL League One club's best winger ranked from worst to best | OneFootball

FLW looks at whose best winger is among the overall elite in the third tier

We've approached the first international break for the majority of clubs, which serves as a good time to reflect on what has been a very busy opening month of League One action this season.

The third tier has been as unpredictable as ever. Sides have been attacking with intent not seen in quite some time, and in the wide areas, the division has already been lucky to bear witness to some quality wingers.

The majority of sides in this division can attest to having a quality winger, but whose quality winger is the best in the entire league?

We may only be seven games in, but Football League World has had a look to find out who does.

24 ? ? Owura Edwards - Peterborough United

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It's always difficult to rank Peterborough United wingers highly at the start of their time at the club.

Posh have been incredible at plucking out players from non-league or after leaving elite top-flight academies and overseeing rapid development in the space of a year or two. The likes of Kyrell Lisbie (ex-Braintree Town), Malik Mothersille (ex-Chelsea academy) or Kwame Poku (ex-Colchester United) likely wouldn't have been ranked that high at the start of their time at the club.

So, nothing is stopping the likes of 17-year-old Bolu Shofowoke or 20-year-old Ethan Williams from having a breakout year, but for the time being, Owura Edwards takes the spot for Posh, and unfortunately, the wooden spoon on this list.

Like Poku, Edwards was brought in from Colchester, but just eight goals and eight assists in two years in League Two doesn't really stand out compared to some of the others, and at 25, he doesn't have the potential that some of the younger, less experienced players have, either.

23 ? ? Jordan Roberts - Stevenage

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Jordan Roberts has been one of the more reliable veterans in Alex Revell's Stevenage side over the past couple of years. The 32-year-old hardly misses games for the Boro, with over 200 appearances for the club in just over four years.

Roberts was a top-level League Two wideman in 2022/23, and has since transitioned well into becoming what Stevenage need on the wing in the third tier, but doesn't have stats which will wow you each year.

Like with Edwards, come the middle of the season, perhaps the likes of Aston Villa loanee Ben Broggio or new arrival Wayna Marcal will overtake him in terms of importance to this Stevenage side, but for now it's a place in the relegation zone for the 32-year-old.

22 ? ? Isaac Heath - Cambridge United

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Isaac Heath has plenty of raw talent, and Cambridge United are lucky to be the side to oversee that development after he departed Everton in the summer.

The 21-year-old had a great loan spell at Accrington Stanley in League Two last season. Only two percent of widemen completed more dribbles and had more touches in the opposition's box than the youngster, and he wasn't afraid to get shots off, either.

The lack of senior experience outside that Accy spell hinders Heath compared to some of the more established players on the list at this point, but that potential stops him from being right at the foot of the list.

21 ? ? Myles Hippolyte - AFC Wimbledon

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This won't be the last time this is mentioned, but a lot of League One managers play a back-five system, meaning that there aren't many natural wingers at the club, and for the sake of fairness, I've done my best to leave out generic wing-backs, as nine times out of ten, they're full-backs playing wider.

Myles Hippolyte is an example of a 'wide 10' or a more central part in Johnnie Jackson's system, but is a natural winger, as seen with the likes of Scunthorpe United and Stockport County.

The 31-year-old is one of AFC Wimbledon's more important players. He scored the winner against Walsall in the play-off final to take them up to League One, and so far this season has started every game and scored crucial winners in 1-0 victories over Wigan Athletic and Doncaster Rovers.

20 ? ? Jordan Thomas - Doncaster Rovers

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Replacing Luke Molyneux was always going to take some doing at Doncaster. Salford City's new wideman registered 28 goal contributions for Donny in League Two in 2024/25 and then 15 in League One last season.

Jordan Thomas hasn't been given a massive run-out just yet, but given the excitement surrounding him at Cheltenham Town in League Two over the past couple of years, it shouldn't be long before he's starting more games.

The 25-year-old had more successful dribbles than any other right-winger in the fourth tier last season, won plenty of duels and ended the campaign with 11 goal contributions.

There's still a long way for him to go; let's see how he fares in League One.

19 ? ? Cohen Bramall - MK Dons

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Okay, maybe I'm contradicting myself here, but MK Dons quite literally don't have natural wingers at the club. Cohen Bramall is a very solid full-back and has played out wide when Paul Warne has opted for a back five so far this season.

The 30-year-old former Arsenal academy man is well-regarded as one of the best set-piece takers in the lower tiers of the EFL and has a storied career playing at least top-end League One, if not bottom-end Championship.

Ultimately, as a more defensive-minded wideman, his goal contribution numbers aren't as high as others; he doesn't try to take men on like others higher up the ranking do, either. A very good player, but one who, when ranking wingers, won't get much higher than lower mid-table.

18 ? ? Lucas Akins - Mansfield Town

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Lucas Akins made a name for himself as a very solid lower-tier striker back in the 2010s, but recently has been deployed out wide for Nigel Clough's Mansfield Town side.

The majority of the 37-year-old's career has been under the legendary boss, from his time at Burton Albion to now. Last season, despite heading further into the twilight years of his career, he netted nine times in league action — his highest third-tier tally since 2020/21.

Akins was never really more than a serviceable low double-digit goal threat as a striker during his heyday, though, and as a winger, there are better options out there.

17 ? ? Nick Tsarroula - Notts County

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Nick Tsarroula is finally getting his shot in League One after securing his second promotion via the League Two play-offs last season. He'll be hoping that Crawley Town's trajectory doesn't map itself onto Notts County from here on in.

As a wideman, the former Tottenham Hotspur academy man was one of the more solid ones in the fourth tier last season, registering nine goal involvements and being quite busy on both sides.

In the third tier so far, that hasn't changed. Tsaroulla already has a couple of assists and is among the best in his position for chances and big chances created, while being in the top 15% in fouls won. A solid option for Martin Paterson's side.

16 ? ? Kyran Lofthouse - Burton Albion

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Burton are another side who play with wing-backs, but if you look at Kyran Lofthouse's heat map, he's basically playing on the wing, and has the stats to back that notion up, too.

The 26-year-old registered 16 goal contributions in all competitions last season for the Brewers, including five goals and seven assists in league action. So far this year, he has three assists in seven games for Gary Bowyer's side.

He's an incredibly important part of the Burton squad, especially given the large squad turnover at the Pirelli this summer. If he continues to create at the level he has been, the Brewers could even struggle to keep him.

15 ? ? Mitch Pinnock - Bromley

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The chance-creating king of League Two last season is back in League One, looking to replicate the kind of assist numbers he was racking up for Northampton Town in the division a few years ago.

Bromley's Mitch Pinnock created 47 more chances than anyone else in the fourth tier last season, which is quite absurd. He led the league in big chances, too, but not in assists, despite generating 15.1 expected assists.

In the past, the 31-year-old has had seven assist campaigns in both his seasons at this level at Sixfields, and this season, he has already swung in more successful crosses than any other winger and is right near the top for big chances created, too.

Pinnock's lack of meaningful experience in League One or higher for the rest of his career sees him fall into the bottom half here, but the 31-year-old is perfect for what Bromley