Ranking every EFL Championship club’s best centre-back from worst to best | OneFootball

FLW looks at every Championship's best club and ranks them from worst to best

There are several top-quality centre-backs currently plying their trade in the Championship. But who is currently the best of the best?

As we head into the final months of the campaign, it's time to look over those responsible for limiting chances and keeping goalkeepers' lives a lot less busy and decide who has been the best at doing so.

Football League World has picked out the best centre-back from each second-tier side, before then ranking them from worst to best.

24 ? ? Liam Cooper - Sheffield Wednesday

It's been a difficult campaign defensively for Sheffield Wednesday, who are destined to end the campaign with the fewest clean sheets and the most goals conceded.

The Owls were able to bolster their backline with a defensive free agent addition towards the tail end of 2025, and in doing so, added former title-winning captain Liam Cooper.

And while his experience has been useful for this depleted Wednesday side, the 34-year-old is clearly past the peak of his powers, and his addition hasn't stopped Henrik Pedersen's side from leaking goals weekly.

It's been a difficult campaign for Portsmouth in terms of defensive availability, with the likes of Conor Shaughnessy and Josh Knight both missing lengthy periods.

Regan Poole has been the ever-present so far this season, and because of that, ranks near the top amongst his fellow centre-backs for stats such as tackles, interceptions and duels won.

However, the rate at which he wins these is slightly alarming, as Fotmob has him in the bottom 15% of centre-backs for duels won, both in the air and on the ground.

Poole has been a useful option for John Mousinho and has transitioned from League One to the Championship well enough. However, compared to other defenders in the division, he doesn't rank highly.

22 ? ? Michal Helik - Oxford United

Michal Helik was an astute bit of business for Oxford United in January last year, and his combination with Will Vaulks on long throw-ins worked a treat for Gary Rowett. Overall, the Polish defender scored five times in 20 games to help them stay up.

Now, though, the 30-year-old has lost his shine a little, is currently going through a rare season without scoring, and the Yellows are once again struggling.

Helik does have impressive defensive stats, but that arguably stems from the fact that Oxford have been under the cosh for the majority of the campaign. In terms of effectiveness, the 30-year-old ranks in the bottom half of Championship defenders for the percentage of duels won.

Oxford need improvements if they are to survive a drop to League One, and Helik will be one of those looked at to try and drag Matt Bloomfield's side out of the bottom three.

21 ? ? Mattie Pollock - Watford

Watford's centre-backs are rather similar when it comes to quality right now, but Mattie Pollock slightly edges things in terms of potential and the fact that he is contracted to the Vicarage Road-based club.

That being said, so far this season, it's been a solid, if not unremarkable campaign for the 24-year-old, and given the quality on show throughout this list, it means a place towards the bottom.

Pollock has plenty of potential, and the fact that he wins plenty of duels at a good rate and is always consistently strong is a positive, but for now, there are better options in his position throughout the division.

20 ? ? Ashley Phillips - Stoke City

The potential of Ashley Phillips gives him the edge over his fellow centre-backs in the Stoke City squad. However, when compared to others in the division currently, it's hard to put him near mid-table.

The Tottenham Hotspur loanee has really begun to come into his own over the past couple of seasons at the bet365 Stadium, and it's evident that the Potters are a better defensive unit when he's in the back line.

However, with stats that put him in the middle of his counterparts in the Championship, it means a 19th-placed position for the 20-year-old.

Blackburn Rovers are struggling heavily at the bottom of the division, but that's arguably more down to issues with getting a regular strikeforce firing than it is in terms of defensive numbers.

At the heart of that backline has been Sean McLoughlin, who wasn't exactly a glamour signing in the summer from Hull City, but has done his job efficiently, winning duels, tackles and ensuring the ball stays out of the Rovers net as much as possible.

There are more traditionally attractive centre-backs in the Championship, but by no means is the 29-year-old a poor player for the level.

18 ? ? Max Cleworth - Wrexham

One of the most refreshing parts of Wrexham's rise from the National League to the Championship has been seeing academy product Max Cleworth survive the constant squad improvements and maintain his place in the backline.

The 23-year-old is now the man who has made the most appearances under Phil Parkinson in this crazy journey, that could still end with a fourth consecutive promotion into the Premier League this season.

He's held his own against some of the better strikers in this division, and still has the potential to grow, too. There's no doubt that, if the Red Dragons are still in the second tier next season, Cleworth will be a lot higher than he is currently on this list come then.

Now we're getting to that point where some ruthless decisions have to be made, and it's a testament to how difficult it is to create a list like this, that a seasoned Championship pro, who is still only 26, ranks in the bottom half.

Harry Darling's move to Norwich City from Swansea City in the summer received a lot of plaudits. Unfortunately, some of that stock has decreased over the campaign due to the Canaries' dire start to life under Liam Mannning.

The 26-year-old has been in and out of the side under Philippe Clement, but there's no doubting that he's still Norwich's best centre-back, and if afforded the time to win his place back, he'll be keen to show why.

16 ? ? Lloyd Jones - Charlton Athletic

Defenders are often the players who look the best in Nathan Jones' style of play, and as a result, Lloyd Jones sits near the top in the majority of defensive stats heading into the final months of the campaign.

No centre-back has won more duels, both in the air and on the ground, than the 30-year-old, who has been everpresent in the Addicks side upon their Championship return.

That being said, Charlton are often made to defend a lot more than other sides, and while the numbers are impressive, they almost have to be if you're going to play week in, week out for Nathan Jones.

So that detracts slightly, but it's still an admirable position for the 30-year-old.

15 ? ? Matt Clarke - Derby County

There's a reason that Matt Clarke is currently in his third spell at Derby County, as no matter who the manager is, the 29-year-old is always a dependable option at the back at this level.

Clarke was a big part of the resurgence towards the end of last season at Pride Park under John Eustace, as the Rams stayed up off the back of strong defensive performances, and has been one of the first names on the team sheet in the manager's first full campaign at the helm.

Because of that, he ranks near the top for defensive stats through the first two-thirds of the campaign, but even his per 90 minute stats have him near the top for the likes of tackles made and clearances.

A no-nonsense defender, but like McLoughlin, there are more attractive options that just pip him to a top-half position on this list.