A fresh batch of Championship stars is coming onto the scene this season. Many hope to add themselves to the illustrious list of wonder kids who have broken through the Championship and been projected into worldwide fame, such as Jude Bellingham and Michael Olise.
England’s second tier has a way of producing fantastic talent. Out of the 26 players selected for the 2024 Euros, 19 have played in the EFL at some point in their careers. Jarrod Bowen, Ollie Watkins, and Eberechi Eze are the most prominent examples of recent stars breaking through.
Will we see a repeat of this success with some of these names in this list? I couldn’t be more confident…
In this article, I will reference statistics measured through percentile ranks. The higher the percentile rank, the better the player performs in that category.
Karamoko Dembele: From Glasgow to West London
Karamoko Dembele didn’t skyrocket as many predicted when he first burst onto the scene. As a fresh 14-year-old in the Celtic youth system, Dembele was plastered all over social media and touted as the next big thing. A few years later, he found himself in France after struggling to cement a place in the first Celtic team.
Last season, Dembele moved to Blackpool, where he had his breakout season in League One, scoring eight goals and getting 13 assists. This got him a big move to the Championship with QPR, where we will find him in the 2024/25 season.
Karamoko, now 21, has started the season like a house on fire, picking up three assists from eight starts in the league. Delving deeper into his stats, Dembele has been very impressive for QPR this season and currently sits 22nd.
He finds himself in the 90th percentile for assists in the league, as well as the 76th percentile for progressive passes. His passing seems to be a particular strength for the tricky winger, who also finds himself in the 90th percentile for crucial passes and passes into the final third. This suggests that he could have racked up more assists with a more prolific goal scorer alongside him.
Dembele’s shot-creating actions place him in the 93rd percentile, with 5.19 per 90 minutes. Alongside his passing, his best attribute seems to be his dribbling, with Dembele in the 76th percentile for successful take-ons, usually beating the defender before him.
In an underperforming side, Dembele is shining and continuing his good form from the previous season. Could we see the tricky winger following Jarrod Bowen and Eberechi Eze’s footsteps by breaking into the England team? Only time will tell.
Bali Mumba: Versatility is Key
Bali Mumba, now 23, is one of the older players on this list. He has found himself playing his trade all across the country. Starting his career with Sunderland, he moved to Norwich City, where he spent a few loan spells before finding himself at Plymouth Argyle.
The Pilgrims secured promotion to the Championship in the 2022/23 season under Steven Schumacher, winning the league with 101 points. Bali Mumba was on loan then and had a very successful season, securing six goals and ten assists, mainly on the left-hand side.
He found himself back at the club for a fee of just over £1 Million. Plymouth survived their first season in the Championship, and this is where they are in the current season.
Wayne Rooney is at the helm, and Bali Mumba is playing Right Back. The versatile defender has shown he can play both sides and centrally, even moving up into the midfield positions. Such a utility man is an incredible tool for any manager, and Rooney has lucked out with Bali Mumba this season.
Bali Mumba is one of the players on this list I have enjoyed watching in person. He did not disappoint. He is arguably one of, if not the best, defender in the division. He showed this by shutting out Tom Fellows for West Brom’s 1-0 home victory over the Pilgrims.
Statistically, this season, Mumba has been in the 93rd percentile for tackles per 90 and the 90th percentile for tackles won. Defensively, he is solid and has the right-hand side of Plymouth’s defence on lockdown. He has surely played a major part in their upturn in form, which has seen the club rise to 14th in the league.
His passing is some of the best amongst his peers, with him in the 93rd percentile for progressive passes and the 99th percentile for pass completion percentage amongst other fullbacks in the division. His medium-range passing, in particular, is the highlight, putting him in the 89th percentile.
Offensively, he also offers a lot to a side that struggles to create chances. He is in the 79th percentile for shot-creating actions, and the 90th percentile for carries into the penalty area.
Bali Mumba is another player who, if he continues his good form and makes a big move to a top league, would be a no-brainer for the England side. A versatile player such as himself is valuable in international tournament football.
Borja Sainz: A Breakout Season
Borja Sainz joined Norwich last season on a free transfer. Coming through the Alaves youth system, he eventually left for Turkey before moving to the Championship. During the 23/24 season, Sainz would pick up six goals and two assists in the league. It’s a respectable haul but far from the league’s best.
However, this season, Borja Sainz has started the campaign on fire. Already, he has surpassed his goal tally from last season, achieving seven goals in 9 games. He has also picked up two assists and the September Player of the Month award.
This season, Sainz is in the 90th percentile for total shots per 90 mins and 73rd percentile for successful take-ons. The 23-year-old inside forward is joint top scorer with Josh Maja.
Sainz’s main strengths lie in his dribbling and ball-carrying. He’s in the 87th percentile for carries into the final third and 81st for Goal-Creating Actions with in-play passes.
Statistically, his passing leaves much to be desired, but he makes up for it with his dribbling and goalscoring prowess. If Borja Sainz carries on this incredible form, he’ll join an illustrious list of Norwich attackers who have made a name for themselves in the Championship. Will he be the next Emi Buendia or Todd Cantwell?
Chris Rigg: Sunderland Till I Die
17-year-old Chris Rigg has burst onto the scene this season with a very youthful Sunderland side. He has already started eight games this season at such a young age, scoring two goals. Rigg is the latest young star from a very accomplished youth system that has produced the likes of England veterans Jordan Henderson and Jordan Pickford.
This season, Chris Rigg is in the 99th percentile for progressive passes received, showing his ability to get into dangerous areas and score a few goals. It also shows the rest of the team’s confidence in the young star, who is very new to the setup.
Rigg is also in the 78th percentile for progressive carries and 89th for total shots per 90 minutes. So far this season, his passing has been poor, with only a 78.2% success rate compared to other central midfielders in the league.
However, he finds himself in the 87th percentile for passes into the penalty area and 76th percentile for crosses into the penalty area. His strength lies in his possession, Rigg is in the 89th percentile for successful take-ons. He holds onto the ball very well and also challenges oncoming dribblers regularly.
It’s a solid debut outing for Chris Rigg, who has looked more impressive in person than he does statistically. If he can improve his scoring output or his passing ability, there is no reason why Chris Rigg can’t follow a trajectory similar to that of Jude Bellingham.
From Wearside to Teesside: Hayden Hackney
Hayden Hackney, 22, has had an immense start to the season with his boyhood club, Middlesbrough. So far, he has played in all nine of Middlesbrough’s games and scored twice. The 22-year-old academy graduate has found himself a pivotal player in the spine of Michael Carrick’s squad.
Hackney is another player on this list I have enjoyed watching in person. He completely shut West Brom out in a tight affair that saw Middlesbrough win the game 1-0, with Hackney scoring the only goal. Holding down the central midfield, everything went through Hackney.
His tackling, passing, and ball-carrying have been incredible this season. In the defensive third, Hackney is in the 99th percentile for progressive passes, 97th for progressive carries and 94th for tackles.
From what I saw of him, he mainly held that holding midfield role, occasionally slotting between the defenders to offer another option in their build-up play. Defensively, he also helps out, being in the 74th percentile for interceptions and sweeping up balls in the middle of the park.
Hackney has been very successful in collecting the ball and carrying it into dangerous areas for his teammates, placing himself in the 94th percentile for successful take-ons and shot-creating actions.
He also manages to play many passes into dangerous areas, being in the 99th percentile for passes into the final third and 94th percentile for passes into the penalty area.
At 22, Hayden Hackney still has a while to go before he hits his prime. Carrick has managed to improve drastically over his time at Middlesbrough.
Could Hackney play a pivotal role this season for a Middlesbrough side expecting a play-off push? In the long term, could Hackney follow Carrick’s footsteps and become a solid Premier League midfielder?
The Future is Bright
Narrowing this list down to only five players was tricky but necessary. Notable names like Jobe Bellingham get enough media attention to warrant not being mentioned. Another future star, Tom Fellows, has already seen the topic of my entire article.
Other youngsters looking very promising this year include Taylor Goodrham from Oxford, Jay Stansfield from Birmingham City and Harrison Burrows, who is now at Sheffield United after an impressive season with Peterborough.
Overall, the future is bright for these EFL stars, who are increasingly likely to continue the tradition of reaching international stardom by starting in the depths of the English Football League.