10. Harry Winks
Club: Leicester City
Position: Midfielder
Age: 28
If it’s a surprise to see Winks in the second tier, it’s no surprise to see him treat it like his plaything. His positional discipline is vital to Enzo Maresca’s 4D chess and he has also scored two late winners, including a stunner against QPR.
DID YOU KNOW? Most passes in midfield? Tick. Best success rate? Tick. Pass pass pass pass pass...
9. Kyle Walker-Peters
Club: Southampton
Positon: Defender
Age: 26
Kyle is another of the ‘What are you doing here?’ brigade, having played for England in 2022. Solid defensively, penetrative in attack and a top dribbler, he’s a Premier League full-back in all but name (and still has two-thirds of one).
HE SAID: “I’ve been kicked more times than I’ve ever been kicked. My ankles are in absolute bits.”
8. Morgan Whittaker
Club: Plymouth Argyle
Position: Forward
Age: 23
While Whittaker is near the top of the charts for chance-creating carries and shot-ending carries, alongside several assists for team-mates, the former England youth international is also challenging for the division's Golden Boot after a host of screamers - notably carbon-copy strikes against Norwich, Ipswich and Sunderland, which saw Whittaker drift in from the right flank before unleashing a left-footed humdinger beyond a helpless goalkeeper.
DID YOU KNOW? Argyle rejected an eight-figure bid from Champions League side Lazio for Whittaker in January, after spending just £1m on him last summer.
7. Jaden Philogene
Club: Hull City
Position: Winger
Age: 22
Philogene is showing elite potential, with eight goals and six assists from his first 22 starts in spite of a six-week lay-off. He’s tricky and elusive – Aston Villa’s £15m buy-back fee was smart.
HIGHLIGHT Sitting down poor Ollie Rathbone before conjuring an iconic rabona for Rotherham to deflect into their own goal.
6. Georginio Rutter
Club: Leeds United
Position: Forward
Age: 21
Rutter’s endurance, space-awareness and link-up work for Leeds are sublime, but he’s not exactly prolific (six goals from 11 xG). After thriving as a false nine, he dropped into a 10 role so Patrick Bamford could poach – selfless.
DID YOU KNOW? Rutter’s first professional goal came in the Champions League. Nicely done.
5. Sammie Szmodics
Club: Blackburn Rovers
Position: Forward
Age: 28
Did SAS leave stardust on the pitch? Because Ewood Park produces marksmen. After Ben Brereton Diaz, now Szmodics is a surprise frontrunner for the Golden Boot, despite Rovers’ travails this term.
HE SAID: “Not much has really changed from last season – I’ve just been given more freedom to get a bit higher up the pitch.”
4. Adam Armstrong
Club: Southampton
Position: Forward
Age: 27
The 5ft 8in goal-getter is clearly held in very high regard by his gaffer – Russel Martin has credited Armstrong’s attitude, describing him as being “like a warrior” and praising his bravery, aggression and willingness to win the ball back from the front.
The Saints supremo has even revealed that playing clips of his No.9 recovering has become a regular theme of his team meetings, highlighting the importance of Armstrong to the side.
3. Jack Clarke
Club: Sunderland
Positon: Winger
Age: 23
Pacy and direct with an eye for goal, Clarke has again got tongues wagging across English football. The Sunderland wideman is enjoying his best-ever campaign for goals, matching last term’s tally of nine way back in October and plundering his 15th of the season in February before injury stymied his progress.
But with Sunderland’s hopes of another play-off celebration thwarted by instability in the dugout, Clarke will probably be looking to step up again elsewhere this summer.
2. Crysencio Summerville
Club: Leeds United
Position: Winger
Age: 22
Summerville doesn’t lose the ball easily, something most would consider an occupational hazard for a productive, risk-taking attacker, and uses his explosivity wisely. Given a yard of space, he’ll make the most of it, but he’s equally happy to create space for team-mates via his movement and willingness to stretch rearguards.
On top of all of that, the selfless wideman sits atop the Championship metrics for goals, assists, chances created, big chances created and successful take-ons. There’s very little he doesn’t offer. Look out, Premier League...
1. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Club: Leicester City
Position: Midfielder
Age: 25
HE TOLD FFT: "No one expected us to start that well, as a lot changed at the club over the summer. When the new manager came in, we hit the ground running and we needed that. We needed the players to get their confidence back after last season. Starting so well meant the lads were enjoying their football.
"Personally, getting into double figures for both goals and assists has been a massive positive, as a pre-season target I really wanted to hit. Scoring twice on the first weekend was a good start, then I got another header against West Brom. I’d never scored a header in my career; now, if the ball comes into the penalty area, [Mimes header] I’ll give it a good go."
