Ranking the 11 best EFL Championship players this season | OneFootball

FLW has looked at the best performers in the second tier this season

With the Championship season almost at its end, all 24 clubs in the division, as well as focusing on their on-pitch situations, will be preparing to hand out individual accolades for their key contributors across a gruelling nine-month period.

As well as this, the annual EFL awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, April 19th in London, during which the top talent and best-performing managers from the second tier, League One and League Two will receive nationwide recognition for their impact on the respective leagues.

In the Championship, four managers - Frank Lampard, Kim Hellberg, Alex Neil and Sergej Jakirovic - will be vying for the Manager of the Season award, whilst a selection of four stars on the pitch will hope to be named Player of the Season in the second tier.

Unsurprisingly, though, such nominations have already caused a major stir in the world of social media, with a handful of clubs and players alike offering their verdict on the matter.

With that in mind, Football League World have also ranked the 11 best players from the Championship this season based on their performances in a range of different positions and circumstances, and here are those selections.

11 ? ? Matt Grimes

Kickstarting this list is Coventry City's club captain and deep-lying midfielder, Matt Grimes.

The 30-year-old received the armband following Ben Sheaf's exit to Wrexham in August, and having such responsibilities on his experienced shoulders only appear to have raised his performance levels.

After signing from Swansea City for approximately £3.5m last January, the midfielder has rarely put a foot wrong whilst continuing to dictate the flow of several games this season - many of which his team have dominated.

As well as chipping in with the occasional goal or assist, Grimes ranks amongst the best in the division when it comes to the number of successful tackles, interceptions and recoveries, and it looks set to land him a first opportunity of regular Premier League minutes in his career after a handful of prior top-flight outings with the Swans.

10 ? ? Sorba Thomas

Whilst Coventry are destined for the Premier League, the same cannot be said for their former boss, Mark Robins and his current employers, Stoke City.

Despite yet another overall campaign of inconsistency in North Staffordshire, the same cannot be said about the contributions made by Welsh international, Sorba Thomas, who signed from Huddersfield Town for just £1.5m.

The 27-year-old started the season like a house on fire with five goal contributions in the first three matches of the season, and has now amassed double-figures in both goals and assists, even though the Potters have regressed massively since the turn of 2026.

As such, there is no real surprise that Thomas has been linked with a potential move to the likes of Everton ahead of the summer transfer window.

9 ? ? Jack Rudoni

Next up is another of Coventry's shining lights in the form of Jack Rudoni.

It is fair to say that there is a clear possibility that the attacking midfielder would have featured higher up this ranking, was it not for two periods that kept him sidelined with injury issues.

Regardless, it is also clear just how influential the 24-year-old is under Lampard for the Sky Blues, having racked up a double-figure tally of goal contributions by April despite featuring in less than 30 Championship outings.

Given his well-known starring ability in the second tier, many will be intrigued to see how Rudoni fares in the top-flight for the Midlands outfit, with Lampard also recently claiming that he has the ability to go on and play in the UEFA Champions League.

8 ? ? Tristan Crama

In eighth spot is Millwall's defensive ace, Tristan Crama.

The Lions have built their unexpected automatic promotion push on defensive solidity, with the Frenchman being an impressive figure alongside the duo of Caleb Taylor and Jake Cooper.

Crama's versatility has been a key asset for the South London side this term, featuring at the heart of defence and at full-back, whilst also proving to be a handful in attacking situations, as demonstrated by his goal and two assists in the 3-0 win over Birmingham City in late February.

Given the club's recent ability to unearth gems and sell them on for a substantial profit, it wouldn't surprise many if the former Brentford man was the next to fall into said category, especially if Millwall are not promoted at the end of the campaign.

7 ? ? Imran Louza

Watford are another side who have had an up-and-down season with three different head coaches, but that hasn't stopped Imran Louza from being extremely eye-catching at Vicarage Road.

The Moroccan has enjoyed his best-ever season in terms of numbers for the Hornets since signing from FC Nantes for £10m in the summer of 2021.

Louza's ability was best demonstrated in a run of 10 games between September and November, where he scored six goals and posted a further three assists.

Unsurprisingly, this has led to intense speculation over his long-term future, with FLW exclusively revealing that the 26-year-old is on the radar of both Everton and Fulham at this moment in time.

6 ? ? Oli McBurnie

Next up is experienced Championship campaigner and striker, Oli McBurnie, who has been a key reason behind Hull City's promotion push under Sergej Jakirovic.

After the Tigers were able to lure the Scotsman to the MKM Stadium on a free transfer in August, the 29-year-old has proven exactly why several clubs in the division were chasing his signature in the summer.

This is also the forward's most productive season for seven years, having already hit the 20 mark for goals and assists combined, as well as being his usual combative self at the top end of the pitch.

5 ? ? Leo Scienza

In fifth is Southampton winger, Leo Scienza.

The 27-year-old has proven to be an inspired signing for the South Coast side, having joined from FC Heidenheim on Deadline Day back in September.

Despite the campaign being extremely mixed for Saints under Will Still and current boss, Tonda Eckert, Scienza has been a favourite with supporters for his commitment and ability, and that certainly has caught the eye in the club's run to the FA Cup semi-finals, where figures from clubs such as Aston Villa, Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur will have been impressed by his showing in the 2-1 win over Arsenal on April 4th.

4 ? ? Femi Azeez

In fourth place is Millwall's Femi Azeez, who has certainly showcased his current ability and potential time and time again this term after a difficult first campaign at The Den.

The 24-year-old's individual campaign burst into life back in October amid a run of four goals and an assist in four games, before recently embarking on another hot streak of assists at the beginning of 2026.

It was well-documented that Azeez's performances alerted the Lions' promotion rivals, Ipswich Town, who saw more than one bid rejected by their divisional rivals.

Again, if Millwall aren't to end their top-flight exile, it would be no surprise if the attacker was to be picked up by a Premier League club after claims that a handful of sides in the division are monitoring his performances.

3 ? ? Hayden Hackney

Taking home the 'bronze medal' on this list is Middlesbrough's homegrown starlet, Hayden Hackney.

After bursting onto the scene at the Riverside Stadium under Michael Carrick, the midfielder has continued to go from strength to strength under both Rob Edwards and Kim Hellberg, whilst also being the subject of intense transfer speculation for some time.

Hackney is often seen as a metronomic figure in the Swede's setup, whilst also showcasing strong defensive nous and leadership at the base of midfield.

It also came as a boost to Boro earlier in the season when the England youth international turned down offers from Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest, and they will certainly hope he's plying his trade in the Premier League with the Teesside club next season as a reward for his loyalty.

2 ? ? Carl Rushworth

In second place is Coventry's on-loan goalkeeper, Carl Rushworth.

The Sky Blues shot-stopper has been a safe pair of hands at Championship level for some time now, despite never getting the opportunity to feature for his parent club, Brighton, in the Premier League.

Unsurprisingly, given his remarkable season between the sticks - proven by his clean sheet record and save percentage - it seems inevitable that the 24-year-old will be featuring in the top-flight one way or another next term.

Whether that's with Coventry remains to be seen, and it also feels likely that the Yorkshireman will be earning a senior call-up for England sooner rather than later, having come close to such feats on two occasions in recent months.