8 current EFL Championship players you would not want to mess with | OneFootball

Football League World has listed the eight second-tier players you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of

Now more than ever, the Championship is starting to improve in terms of on-the-ball quality, but it wasn't too long ago that teams were setting themselves up to be tough to beat with players who would strike fear into their opponents physically.

Despite this change in how teams are set up, there are still a lot of players in the second tier currently who pride themselves on being physically intimidating, and they are still rather effective, whether that's in stopping goals or scoring them.

The sheer stature and towering presence, or their relative "bad boy" persona, of these eight players stick out from the rest, however.

Football League World has picked out the eight current Championship stars who you wouldn't want to mess with.

Ben Pearson

Getting the most obvious one out of the way first, the man who is currently just three yellow cards away from tying the record for the most in Championship history, Ben Pearson, has to make this list.

The rugged midfielder has a reputation for being one of the most physical players in the second tier. Some may call it dirty, others passionate. One thing's for certain, opposition fans don't like it when they see the 30-year-old line up against them.

Pearson's been sent off six times in his Championship career, including three straight reds in the same season in the 2018/19 campaign, whilst he was playing for Preston North End. He's so synonymous with dismissals that, whenever he's out of the side due to injury or selection, Transfermarkt automatically puts it down to suspension!

It won't be long until he's sat alone at the top of the card charts in second-tier history. Whether that's something to be proud of or not? We're not sure. But it definitely earns him a place on this list.

Jake Cooper

Jake Cooper's coming up to nearly 400 Championship appearances, and over time, he's epitomised what many people associate with Millwall, a gritty and physical style.

Standing at a mammoth six-foot-six, the 30-year-old has dominated strikers in the air and has scored a few at the other end, too, due to his aerial presence from set pieces.

He's also not shied away from a yellow card during his time on the pitch, currently picking up just 10 fewer than Pearson in his Championship career, albeit in over 100 more games.

Someone that you'd want on your side if an altercation broke out on the field, Cooper is definitely not someone to mess with.

Milutin Osmajic

Milutin Osmajic was banned for eight games last season after being found guilty of biting Owen Beck in a game against Blackburn Rovers. Whilst that behaviour isn't one that anyone can condone, it goes a long way to putting him on this list.

The Montenegrin international is a handful for opposition defences due to his ability to throw himself at anything and get stuck into aerial duels with taller defenders.

At six-foot-one, Osmajic is not exactly the shortest striker, either, so given his stature and his short temper, you would be mindful to watch your actions around the Preston frontman.

Steven Nzonzi

The second Stoke City player to appear on this list, but not for the dirty nature that Pearson brings to the table.

Putting it plainly, a six-foot-five no-nonsense defensive midfielder with plenty of experience in the game isn't someone you want to mess with, regardless of his disciplinary record.

Coming back to Stoke this summer was a move which caught the eye of quite a few fans, as Nzonzi hasn't played in England since his time with the Potters ended a decade ago. Many felt that the midfielder, who turns 37 in December, would perhaps be a step off what is needed at this level now.

But the former World Cup winner has shown that his physical style hasn't worn off over the past decade, and he's immediately putting himself in the conversation for the most intimidating player currently in the second tier.

Kieffer Moore

Towering Welshman Kieffer Moore has been a handful for Championship defences for a long time now, and even now, as he ventures into his mid-thirties, he's showing that the traditional big man up front isn't going out of style any time soon.

The six-foot-six striker has bullied his way to 20-goal seasons and two promotions from the second tier in his career, and he came close to three-peating his personal promotion resume with Sheffield United last season.

Now at Wrexham, the Welsh international is the main target for the Red Dragons to aim for when progressing up the field, and his seven goals have shown that not only is he intimidating in stature, but also in front of goal, too.

Massimo Luongo

Another Millwall player in the fray, and like Cooper before him, Massimo Luongo just seems to epitomise what Lions fans demand of their players — a little rough around the edges and extremely hard-working.

At just five-foot-nine, Luongo is very easily the shortest player on this list, but where he may lack in height, he makes up for it in his gritty style.

The Australian has multiple 10-yellow card seasons in his time in the Championship with the likes of QPR and Ipswich Town, and was a big part of the latter's rise from League One into the Premier League in back-to-back seasons.

Like Cooper, he's someone useful to have on your side if anything were to break out on the pitch.

Nat Phillips

West Brom centre-back Nat Phillips would probably head a brick wall if it meant his side would keep a clean sheet, and that mentality immediately puts him on this list. It helps that he's also six-foot-three and built like a truck, too — you simply wouldn't try and get on his bad side.

Phillips was a huge part of the Derby County back line last season, which was so solid under John Eustace and one of the main contributors to the Rams' survival. He started each of the last 10 games, keeping five clean sheets.

Now at The Hawthorns, Phillips has been a mainstay in Ryan Mason's side in the Championship this season, putting fear into any striker he comes up against.

Oli McBurnie

Maybe when West Brom take on Hull City, Phillips won't be putting fear into Oli McBurnie, though, as we're not sure whether the Scottish frontman is scared of anything.

Standing at six-foot-two, McBurnie not only has the physique, but also the look of someone who you wouldn't want to mess with. The beard, facial expressions, combined with a haircut that he's not afraid to buzzcut, just strikes you as someone you'd want on your side if an altercation broke out.

The 29-year-old isn't afraid of throwing himself about on the pitch either. He picked up two red cards in his final Premier League season with Sheffield United in 2023/24, and collected nine yellows as the main frontman the year prior in the Championship as the Blades won promotion.