Exclusive: Lee Hendrie names his top 3 goalkeepers in the EFL Championship right now | OneFootball

The Sky Sports pundit has heaped praise on three EFL Championship goalkeepers in particular

Sky Sports pundit and EFL expert, Lee Hendrie, has picked the three players he believes are standout goalkeepers in the Championship after almost three months of the 2025/26 Championship season.

As is so often the case, debating who is the best individual player across every position throughout the Championship causes no end of controversy amongst sets of rival fanbases, particularly in the age of social media.

As such, narrowing it down to the 'top one' can prove mightily difficult for those who assess developments across the EFL, be it the second tier, League One or League Two on a much more regular basis than others.

A month into the current campaign, Hendrie's Sky Sports colleague and former striker, Don Goodman, exclusively revealed his top three picks when it came to those within the division's collective goalkeepers union.

The former Aston Villa, Sheffield United and one-cap England international has now done the same as we head towards the crucial festive period, with the 48-year-old also having a far greater sample size of statistics and in-person judgements to call upon.

Lee Hendrie makes claim on Stoke City, Swansea City and Coventry City stars as he names top 3 EFL Championship goalkeepers

It may come as very little surprise that the first of Hendrie's picks came in the form of Stoke City's Swedish international shot-stopper, Viktor Johansson.

The 27-year-old has been a standout performer at Championship level for several seasons now, having made his mark at Rotherham United before moving to the Potteries for a bargain £750,000 sum and continuing his remarkable form.

At present, statistics such a joint-high number of six clean sheets, the highest save percentage in the division and a prevention of 4.4 goals have helped Stoke climb up to second under Mark Robins, with Hendrie quick to laud the former Villa academy figure.

"You're looking at Viktor Johansson, who was outstanding last season for Stoke," the pundit exclusively told FLW.

"I think he got Player of the Season and he's continued on this season. That's why I feel Stoke have done so well, and he has to take a lot of credit between the sticks," he explained.

Hendrie's second pick was Swansea City's experienced goalkeeper, Lawrence Vigouroux.

It has been an up-and-down campaign for Alan Sheehan thus far, although they boast one of the stronger defences in the division, with the Chilean international a big factor behind such statistics with the second-highest save percentage behind the aforementioned Johansson.

"I've always been a fan of Lawrence Vigouroux at Swansea," Hendrie stated. "A very good shot-stopper.

"I think if things don't progress for Swansea, maybe there's a chance that he could go elsewhere."

The pundit's third, final, and perhaps obvious - but understandable - pick was Carl Rushworth, who is currently flourishing on loan at Coventry City from Brighton and Hove Albion.

After previous mixed spells in the Championship with Swansea and Hull City, the 24-year-old Yorkshireman is starting to, once again, showcase his Premier League potential at the CBS Arena.

He, like Johansson, has accumulated six clean sheets thus far, as well as setting a recent club record of 613 minutes without conceding.

Such form has also alerted England manager, Thomas Tuchel, who reportedly has the Sky Blues keeper on his radar.

"Rushworth at Coventry, I know he's on loan from Brighton. But, he's a very good goalkeeper," Hendrie continued.

"The three of them for me. You could probably chuck Alex Palmer in there as well, but, I'd say them.

"That's a reflection of what I've seen from them over the past couple of seasons, and Rushworth, obviously, is with how well Coventry are doing," he concluded.

Lee Hendrie's top 3 EFL Championship goalkeeper picks are hard to dispute

At present, it is hard to argue against Hendrie's picks with how all three shot-stoppers are currently performing, which has been a key factor in determining their current status in the table, particularly for Stoke and Coventry.

Johansson has been a top performer at Championship level for many seasons, leading to Premier League interest from West Ham United in the summer, whilst there is every chance that Rushworth could become a top-flight regular himself for the Seagulls.

Vigouroux remains very much underrated in comparison to the likes of Palmer - who Hendrie cited - and Michael Cooper, who has endured a tough start to the campaign with Sheffield United.

As much as he has been a key asset for the Welsh side, it is hard to see his future anywhere other than with the Swans at present, having penned a contract until 2028 last month at the age of 31.