Top 20 most underrated EFL Championship players (Ranked) | OneFootball

We ranked the top 20 most underrated players in the Championship.

It is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting end to the Championship season, with the promotion and relegation spots still yet to be decided.

Leeds United, Sheffield United and Burnley are involved in a competitive race for automatic promotion, while a host of teams will still feel they have a chance of reaching the play-offs, and the battle to avoid relegation to League One is also heating up.

As the season reaches a conclusion, individual accolades will be handed out to those who have lit up the division this campaign, but there are plenty of players who perhaps do not get the credit they deserve.

With that in mind, we ranked the top 20 most underrated Championship players.

20 Liam Cullen - Swansea City

It has been a disappointing season for Swansea City, and a lack of goals has been one of the main reasons behind their struggles, but their league position would be a lot worse if not for striker Liam Cullen's contribution.

With over a month of the campaign still to go, Cullen, who came through the Swans' academy, has enjoyed the best goalscoring season of his career so far, and his numbers are even more impressive when you consider he has frequently been deployed in an advanced midfield role rather than as a central striker.

Like Swansea, Preston North End are another team that have found it tough in front of goal this season, but striker Emil Riis has helped to keep Paul Heckingbottom's side away from the relegation zone.

Riis has been a reliable source of goals for the Lilywhites in the Championship in recent years, and this campaign has been no different, but with his contract at Deepdale set to expire in the summer, the Lancashire outfit may face a battle to hold on to the 26-year-old.

Burnley's automatic promotion push has been built on a remarkable defensive record, and goalkeeper James Trafford and defender Maxime Esteve have largely been seen as crucial to the Clarets' solidity, which is reflected by the fact the pair are regularly linked with Premier League moves.

However, Esteve's centre-back partner CJ Egan-Riley is one player who deserves more recognition, and having seemingly had no future at Turf Moor at the start of the season, he is now one of the first names on head coach Scott Parker's team sheet.

17 Ebou Adams - Derby County

Derby County's League One promotion hopes were hanging in the balance when Ebou Adams arrived on loan from Cardiff City last January, but the midfielder played a starring role in the second half of the season as the Rams finished in second place.

After joining permanently in the summer for a reported fee of around £500,000, Adams has continued to be a driving force for the club in the Championship, and he was recently handed the captain's armband by new manager John Eustace.

16 Sam Field - Queens Park Rangers

Central midfielders can often get overlooked, particularly in teams that have plenty of creative players, but no QPR supporter will be in doubt about how important Sam Field has been to the team over the past few years, particularly last season as they secured survival under Marti Cifuentes.

Field is a classy operator at Championship level, and he has frequently been tipped for a Premier League move, but he signed a new contract at Loftus Road last March, much to the relief of the R's.

15

After joining the club from Wigan Athletic last January, forward Callum Lang helped Portsmouth to the League One title, but he has taken his form to another level in the Championship.

Prior to sustaining a season-ending hamstring injury in February, Lang scored an impressive 10 goals in 30 appearances, including netting four in one game against Coventry City in December, and if Pompey retain their second tier status this campaign, they will be indebted to the 26-year-old.

14 Japhet Tanganga - Millwall

Japhet Tanganga was viewed as one of the most talented young defenders in English football after making his breakthrough at Tottenham Hotspur, but following an underwhelming few years, his career was at something of a crossroads when he joined Millwall on loan last January.

After helping the Lions to Championship safety last season, Tanganga returned to The Den on a permanent basis in the summer, and after another strong campaign, he looks destined to earn a move back to the Premier League in the not-too-distant future.

13 Anis Mehmeti - Bristol City

Winger Anis Mehmeti initially struggled for consistency after joining Bristol City from Wycombe Wanderers in January 2023, and he often found himself drifting in and out of the starting line-up during the early stages of his time at the club.

However, Mehmeti has been one of the standout players for the Robins' in their play-off push this season, and despite being among the top scorers in the Championship, he perhaps does not receive the plaudits from outside Ashton Gate that his performances have deserved.

Striker Callum Robinson has never been a particularly prolific goalscorer throughout his career, but he has found a new lease of life at Cardiff City this season, which may have gone unnoticed by some.

Robinson only scored a combined total of 10 goals in his first two seasons with the Bluebirds, but he has already bettered that total this campaign, and if Omer Riza's side are to survive in the Championship, the Republic of Ireland international's form will be crucial.

11 Viktor Johansson - Stoke City

Burnley's James Trafford and Sheffield United's Michael Cooper are widely considered to be the best goalkeepers in the Championship, but Stoke City's Viktor Johansson certainly deserves to be included in the conversation.

Whether during Johansson's time at Stoke or former club Rotherham United, many opposition supporters will likely be able to recall a game in which the 26-year-old's heroics frustrated their side, and he has arguably earned the chance to showcase his talent in the Premier League.

10 Jamie Cumming - Oxford United

Like Johansson, Oxford United's Jamie Cumming is another goalkeeper who has gone under the radar in the Championship this season.

After joining the club on loan from Chelsea, Cumming helped the U's to promotion from League One via the play-offs last season before returning to the Kassam Stadium on a permanent basis in the summer, and having produced a host of crucial saves this campaign, Gary Rowett's side will have the 25-year-old to thank if they manage to avoid relegation.

9 Djeidi Gassama - Sheffield Wednesday

Winger Djeidi Gassama's arrival at Sheffield Wednesday from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023 generated plenty of excitement, but it is fair to say he did not quite live up to expectations in his first season at Hillsborough, scoring just four goals.

However, Gassama has improved significantly this season, causing problems for opposition defences on a weekly basis, and with the summer transfer window approaching, the Owls will be hoping that he has not yet caught the eye of Premier League clubs.

With many Middlesbrough supporters still devastated by the departure of star striker Emmanuel Latte Lath in January, Tommy Conway has not been given as much praise as he has merited for his impressive debut season at the Riverside Stadium.

Boro paid a substantial fee in the region of £4.5 million to sign Conway from Bristol City in the summer, but he has been worth every penny of that so far, and he still has a realistic chance of finishing as the Championship's top scorer this season.

7 Tatsuhiro Sakamoto - Coventry City

Few had heard of Tatsuhiro Sakamoto when he joined Coventry City from KV Oostende in the summer of 2023, but he made a big impression in his first year in English football prior to suffering a season-ending injury last February, scoring seven goals.

Sakamoto took a little while to get up to speed after returning to fitness, but he has shown signs in recent months that he is getting back to his best, which has been a huge boost to the Sky Blues in their pursuit of a play-off place.

6 Dan James - Leeds United

Given that Leeds United signed Dan James from Manchester United for £25 million in the summer of 2021, it may seem strange to include him on a list of underrated players, but the winger is arguably not given the credit he deserves for his influence at Elland Road.

Despite scoring 13 goals and providing eight assists last season, James' contribution was overshadowed by the performances of Crysencio Summerville and Wilfried Gnonto, and he is on course to achieve better numbers this campaign, underlining just how much he has improved under the guidance of Daniel Farke.

5 Jack Rudoni - Coventry City

Jack Rudoni suffered relegation from the Championship with Huddersfield Town last season, but that did not deter Coventry from paying a reported fee of between £3.6 million and £3.8 million plus add-ons to sign the midfielder in the summer.

The decision to take a chance on Rudoni has proven to be a masterstroke by the Sky Blues, and his goals and assists have been key to their rise up the table in recent months under Frank Lampard, making him one of the signings of the season in the second tier.

4 Jason Knight - Bristol City

After a number of impressive years at Derby County, midfielder Jason Knight made the move to Bristol City in the summer of 2023, and he was given the captaincy by head coach Liam Manning in August following a strong first season at Ashton Gate.

Knight has continued to bring energy and creativity to the Robins' midfield this season, and his leadership qualities have also helped his side emerge as serious play-off contenders after years of underwhelming mid-table finishes.

Winger Josh Murphy made the surprise decision to turn down the offer of a new contract at Oxford to join fellow newly-promoted side Portsmouth in the summer, but his bold call has certainly been vindicated after a stunning debut season at Fratton Park.

Having reignited his career at the Kassam Stadium, Murphy has continued to go from strength to strength with Pompey, and he is one of the top assist providers in the Championship this season, while he has also chipped in with a number of crucial goals for John Mousinho's side in their battle against relegation.

2 Josh Cullen - Burnley

Given his goalscoring exploits, Josh Brownhill is understandably viewed as the star of the Burnley midfield by many, but Josh Cullen is arguably the man who makes the Clarets tick.

Much of Cullen's work often goes underappreciated, but the 28-year-old is an integral part of Parker's team, and having already achieved one promotion to the Premier League during his time in Lancashire, he will be hoping to repeat that feat over the coming months.

1 Tyrese Campbell - Sheffield United

Few could have predicted the impact that striker Tyrese Campbell would make after joining Sheffield United on a free transfer in the summer following his release by Stoke.

Campbell was not expected to be a regular starter for the Blades this season, but he has deservedly nailed down his place in the team ahead of fellow summer signing Kieffer Moore and £10 million January arrival Tom Cannon.

United have been involved in a number of tight games this campaign, often only winning by a one-goal margin, which has made Campbell's goals even more important, and the 25-year-old has not been given the plaudits he has deserved for his contribution to Chris Wilder's side.