THE TOP 50 FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS AS VOTED BY THE FANS
50 COLIN KAZIM-RICHARDS
DERBY COUNTY
POSITION FORWARD AGE 34
Few players can boast a career like Kazim-Richards. Beginning with Bury, the forward has spent spells in Turkey at Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Bursaspor, also rocking up in France, Greece, the Netherlands, Scotland, Brazil and Mexico, before signing for Derby in October. His goals have taken the Rams away from relegation and earned him a new contract.
49 NICKY CADDEN
FOREST GREEN ROVERS
POSITION MIDFIELDER AGE 24
Considered something of a coup following his performances in the Scottish second tier last season, Cadden has delivered, which is fitting given the 24-year-old’s wicked output on the left flank, from where he’s been a menace. Rovers frontman Jamille Matt has benefited handsomely from the wideman’s precise crosses.
48 MALLIK WILKS
HULL CITY
POSITION FORWARD AGE 22
The 22-year-old had a tragic start to his career, learning of his brother’s murder just three days before his first-team debut for Leeds in 2017. The Hull forward reached 20 goals for the season by early March – if his recent hot streak with the Tigers had come a little earlier, he may have been higher in our supporters’ poll.
47 VACLAV HLADKY
SALFORD CITY
POSITION GOALKEEPER AGE 30
When there are discussions about Hladky potentially being the best goalkeeper that League Two has seen in modern times, you know he must be good. Nick Pope, Jordan Pickford and Dean Henderson may have something to say about that, but with the highest save percentage in the division, the Czech gloveman is certainly living up to the billing.
46 JOE PIGOTT
AFC WIMBLEDON
POSITION FORWARD AGE 27
It s been a case of ‘feed the Pig and he will score’ this season for the Dons – the striker has shouldered a heavy burden in netting 10 league goals before Christmas. The 27-year-old is an unselfish all-rounder who’s happy to be an aerial target and run the channels, making him more than merely a goal threat.
45 MATT JAY
EXETER CITY
POSITION FORWARD AGE 25
Jay made his debut as far back as 2013, and while his path from academy to key attacker wasn’t as short as Grecians class-mate Ollie Watkins’, he’s scored more Exeter goals this campaign than the current Aston Villa man ever managed. His expert finishing has shone in a little-and-large partnership with Ryan Bowman.
44 JOE WORRALL
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
POSITION DEFENDER AGE 24
Even alongside a number of older and more experienced team-mates, Worrall is Forest’s natural leader. The local lad’s huge appetite for defending and constant improvements to the technical side of his game back up his barking with top displays in Chris Hughton’s impressive defensive unit. Comparisons to Michael Dawson are suitable.
Had Sunderland not opted for a change of manager in late November, Aiden McGeady might not have played a single match in 2020-21.
As the new season began, many scratched their heads at precisely how a winger with more than 90 caps for the Republic of Ireland didn’t even merit a place on the bench at a League One side. McGeady had played for his country at two European Championships, made 30 appearances in the Champions League for Celtic and Spartak Moscow, and turned out for Everton in the Premier League. At the Stadium of Light, though, he was unwanted.
He’d joined the Black Cats shortly after their relegation from the top flight in 2017, and was unable to stop them plummeting down another division in his first season on Wearside. Suddenly, he was in League One – an almost unthinkable situation for a player of his ability.
In his first campaign at that level, he scored 11 league goals and set up another five under the stewardship of
43 AIDEN McGEADY
SUNDERLAND
POSITION MIDFIELDER AGE 35
Jack Ross, only for Sunderland to lose in the play-off final against Charlton. Soon, things got even worse.
Two months after Phil Parkinson’s arrival as manager in October 2019, the club sat 11th in the standings when the gaffer made a decision that stunned McGeady.
“I still to this day don’t know what happened,” he said recently. “I never had a fallout with Parkinson, I never had an argument. He just said to me, ‘I don’t want you round the place any more’.”
To the bafflement of Sunderland fans, McGeady was made to train with the under-23s, before joining Charlton on loan for the rest of the 2019-20 campaign. When he returned north in the summer, nothing had changed. “It was really, really difficult,” he said. “I was binned off with the U23s, with no hope of coming back. But to be honest, I thought I’d outlast Parkinson.”
That’s exactly what happened. When Parkinson was sacked in November and replaced by Lee Johnson a week later, McGeady was immediately restored to the side.
“I went from Siberia to the frying pan in the space of five days,” he said.
In the following 17 league matches, he delivered 11 assists. When the Black Cats thrashed promotion-chasing Doncaster 4-1 in February, McGeady set up all four goals for striker Charlie Wyke.
He provided the assist for the only goal
