How recent Championship Player of the Year winners have handled the Premier League as Hayden Hackney makes Everton transfer

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·3 July 2026

How recent Championship Player of the Year winners have handled the Premier League as Hayden Hackney makes Everton transfer

(Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Everton have finally got the Hayden Hackney deal over the line, with the midfielder’s move from Middlesbrough rubber-stamped this week. The 24-year-old was the second tier’s standout player last season, earning the Championship Player of the Season award.

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It’s not the first time Everton have signed a formerChampionship Player of the Season winner, with Phil Jagielka claiming the prize 12 months before his move to Goodison Park. Recent winners have had a mixed record when stepping up, though there have been some notable success stories.

2020 - Ollie Watkins

Ollie Watkins won the award in 2019/20 after scoring 26 goals in 50 games for Brentford across all competitions. The Bees narrowly missed out on automatic promotion before losing the play-off final to Fulham.

Aston Villa signed Watkins in a club record £28m deal, and that investment has paid off. Watkins has reached double-digits in all six Premier League seasons for Villa, and has netted 108 times in 278 games.

2021 - Emi Buendia

Emi Buendia’s brilliant Championship campaign in 2020/21 saw him celebrated as the league’s best talent. The Argentine scored 15 goals and assisted 16 more, for a Norwich side that won the title. Despite promotion, Buendia bid farewell to Carrow Road in the summer and signed for Aston Villa in a transfer worth up to £38m.

He endured a mixed time over his first two seasons, before a serious knee injury saw Buendia lose favour. He spent time on loan at Bayer Leverkusen in 2024/25, but enjoyed a renaissance last season. Buendia scored 11 goals in 2025/26 and was named man of the match in the club’s Europa League final win over SC Freiburg.

2022 - Aleksandr Mitrovic

The Serbian striker struggled badly as Fulham were relegated from the Premier League in 2020/21, but bounced back with a record-breaking campaign a year later. Mitrovic scored 43 goals in 44 league games to set a new Championship goal record and continue his remarkable record in the division.

Mitrovic scored 81 goals in 101 second-tier games for Fulham. For comparison, he netted 28 in 89 top-flight games for the Cottagers.

2023 - Chuba Akpom

Chuba Akpom scored 28 goals to win the Championship Golden Boot and Player of the Season award in 2022/23, but opted for a move abroad instead of the Premier League.

He signed for Ajax and scored 23 goals in 72 games, before loan spells with Lille and Ipswich Town. Akpom helped Ipswich to promotion last season and will get his Premier League chance in 2026/27.

2024 - Crysencio Summerville

A player very much in the headlines right now, with clubs circling for Crysencio Summerville after West Ham’s relegation. Summerville signed for the Hammers from Leeds United for £25m in 2024 after winning the Championship’s Player of the Season accolade.

The winger struggled in season one, but improved last term despite relegation, with seven goals. After breaking into the Dutch squad and scoring twice at the 2026 World Cup, big clubs are interested in his services.

2025 - Gustavo Hamer

Gustavo Hamer won the prize in 2024/25, as Sheffield United narrowly missed out on promotion. It followed a campaign in which he’d been the Blades’ best player in a Premier League relegation campaign.

Despite transfer rumours, he remained at Bramall Lane, as Sheffield United struggled in the lower reaches of the Championship last season. Despite that, he still led the league for assists (12).