Exclusive: Don Goodman names his all-time EFL Championship five-a-side team | OneFootball

Speaking exclusively with FLW, Don Goodman has named his all-time EFL Championship five-a-side team.

The Championship has provided the canvas for many footballing artists to showcase their brilliance over the years.

The lights may shine brightest in the Premier League, but English football's second tier has had its fair share of box office talent.

Indeed, the division has so often acted as a breeding ground for talent to thrive, whether that be young and upcoming future stars of the top-flight, or classy veterans winding down their careers.

"Incredible" - Don Goodman names his all-time EFL Championship five-a-side team

Speaking exclusively with Football League World, we asked Sky Sports pundit and former player, Don Goodman, to name his all-time EFL Championship five-a-side team.

Goodman said: "Well, what does a good five-a-side team look like?

"Usually, defenders against attackers, defenders always win. So do you put more defenders in? Absolutely not.

"Tough question, but obviously it's based on a sample size of the last 20 years since the Championship was formed in its new guise.

"So, I'm going to have to go James Trafford in goal after last season. That record defensively, incredible.

"I need one defender in there, so it would be Maxime Esteve. And then midfield, Ruben Neves. Unbelievable at Wolves.

"I've got to have Diogo Jota in there as well, and I've got to have a record goalscorer, so I'll go Aleksandar Mitrovic.

"Not a bad team."

Goodman's team has everything a good five-a-side team needs

Whilst players such as QPR icon Adel Taarabt and Crystal Palace's pair of ballers Wilfried Zaha and Yannick Bolasie, for example, may feel hard done by to be left out of Goodman's team, it's hard to argue with any of his selections either.

Starting in-between the sticks, Trafford conceded just 16 goals in 45 Championship games in Burnley's automatic promotion centurions side, whilst also keeping a remarkable 29 clean sheets.

The now-Manchester City man set a new second tier record for 12 consecutive clean sheets between December and February, and recorded a save percentage of 84.6 per cent.

Pairing him up with his standout centre-back teammate from last season with the Clarets, Maxime Esteve, looks a very shrewd decision by Goodman too.

The 23-year-old was arguably the best central defender in the division last term, starting every single league game in Scott Parker's side, whilst displaying superb qualities in both the modern and old-school elements of being a defender.

Having Ruben Neves in the middle is impossible to argue with either, as the Portugal international is undoubtedly one of the very best players to ever ply his trade in the Championship.

It was evident to everyone that he was simply on a different level as part of Wolves' 17/18 title-winning team, with his unforgettable volley against Derby County arguably the greatest goal in second tier history.

One of the key reasons why Wolves won the Championship title that year was the brilliance of the late Diogo Jota, as before he became a beloved figure at Anfield, he was lighting up Molineux as a Wanderers star.

Without his 17 goals and five assists, as well as his dazzling ability with the ball at his feet, Nuno Espirito Santo's side would naturally have had a far tougher challenge lifting the Championship trophy.

Then there's Aleksandar Mitrovic, whose 43 goals in 44 second tier appearances set a new record for the most goals scored by one player in a 46-game English league season.

It will always be one of, if not the finest individual season in second tier history, as Fulham won the Championship title with 90 points in that 21/22 campaign.

As Goodman says, not a bad team at all.