Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit names the 3 most technically gifted players in the EFL Championship right now | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie has told FLW his three picks for the Championship's most technically gifted players

Lee Hendrie has named West Brom’s Mikey Johnston, Ipswich Town’s Jaden Philogene and Coventry City’s Matt Grimes as the three most technically gifted players in the Championship right now.

Johnston almost made the move away from the Hawthorns in the summer, having been linked with a sensational switch to Brazilian side Flamengo before the deal collapsed.

Since then, he has proved a key part of Ryan Mason’s first team squad, contributing two goals and six assists for the Baggies from 17 appearances in the league.

Only Hull City’s Ryan Giles has provided more assists from the opening 18 fixtures, with Johnston’s performances earning him a lot of plaudits from supporters.

Meanwhile, Philogene’s standout display came in the Tractor Boys’ 5-0 win over Sheffield United in September in which he provided a hat trick, and Grimes has been crucial to Frank Lampard’s side as they set their sights on automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Lee Hendrie singles out technically gifted Championship trio

Hendrie has praised Johnston’s impact at West Brom, claiming he is a key creative force in Mason’s side this season.

He also believes that Philogene provides that same kind of spark for Ipswich, suggesting they are both similarly technically gifted in their ability to dance around opposition players and pick out incisive passes.

“There’s some good technical players in the Championship, Mikey Johnston I like at West Brom,” Hendrie exclusively told Football League World.

“I think he’s got great ability and I think he’s been such a big player for them this season.

“He gets on the ball, again a creative threat, I think he’s a number of assists and he’s been a key part to what they do on a creative and attacking form.

“Got really good ability when he’s got the ball at his feet, good technically.

“Same with Jaden Philogene, I think really similar sort of players where you can give them the ball and they come up with something quite special, dance past players and pick a pass out, which is really important from a wide player’s perspective.”

Hendrie has also singled out Coventry’s Matt Grimes for the role he has played in supplying opportunities for the team’s forwards, with the Sky Blues currently leading the Championship table with 50 goals to their name.

“I’ve gone for Matt Grimes for my third one,” he added.

“As a central midfielder, I think he sometimes goes under the radar at Coventry because of what he actually does in the team.

“He gets on the ball, he can dictate and control the game and he picks out them forward passes.

“You need supply for an attacking player, and he gives that.

“His pass completion has been very good, and it always has been, even when he was at Swansea, very good technical player.”

Grimes has provided two assists for Coventry from 18 appearances, with the 30-year-old featuring from the start of each of the club’s fixtures so far this season.

Philogene has only registered one assist in this campaign, but has contributed six goals of his own, with Ipswich chasing promotion back to the Premier League.

West Brom will be glad Mikey Johnston sale didn’t go through

Johnston could’ve been winning the Copa Libertadores last week had he made the switch to Flamengo in the summer, but West Brom will be grateful now that the move didn’t go through.

The winger has been a key player under Mason, and he will be crucial to any kind of promotion push if he maintains this level of performance through the whole season.

Philogene will be similarly important for Ipswich’s top two hopes, with the winger stepping up in importance to McKenna’s side following their top flight relegation.

Grimes joined Coventry last January, and it could turn out to be one of their most important pieces of business under Lampard, with the midfielder playing well this season as the team runs off at the top of the Championship table.