50 HANNIBAL MEJBRI
BIRMINGHAM CITY
POSITION MIDFIELDER AGE 20
In another challenging season for Birmingham, the Manchester United loanee’s intense pressing has won him many a fan, either side of 10 minutes at the World Cup with Tunisia. If he channels his aggression better, he’ll go far.
HIGHLIGHT Pulling off a clever and perfectly-executed free-kick against West Brom to catch out David Button at his near post.
49 ANDY COOK
BRADFORD CITY
POSITION FORWARD AGE 32
Strong enough to be a focal point, skilled and mobile enough to thrive individually, ‘Cookie’ did threaten in patches last season but is now more consistent, with 18 league goals before March.
HIGHLIGHT Showing strength, spirit, technique and composure to score against Gillingham after nicking the ball on the touchline.
48 PAUL SMYTH
LEYTON ORIENT
POSITION FORWARD AGE 25
The pacy left-winger has made 2022-23 his sizzle reel, bagging a wide array of majestic goals.
HE SAID “It’s quite strange, not scoring a worldie” – in August, referencing his wonder-strike against Barrow last March. He’s since netted a 20-yard peach, a bicycle kick and a solo dribble he converted after being floored.
47 WILL COLLAR
STOCKPORT COUNTY
POSITION MIDFIELDER AGE 26
Dave Challinor’s mad Hatters mix up their game impeccably and Collar is a big part of their push for back-to-back promotions. He’s a fine passer with boundless energy in his box-to-box role.
DID YOU KNOW? With a dozen goals, even as a No.8, he nets in bursts: five in three in December, then five in five during February.
46 DION CHARLES
BOLTON WANDERERS
POSITION FORWARD AGE 27
Like many strikers to rise from non-league, Charles is dogged and aggressive. He transmits his work ethic a tad more selfishly through Ian Evatt’s instruction and has gained his rewards by keeping narrow: with 18 before March, he should be Bolton’s first player to hit 20 goals in a season (all competitions) since 2000-01.
45 CONOR CHAPLIN
IPSWICH TOWN
POSITION FORWARD AGE 26
Having been Valerien Ismael’s pressing monster in Barnsley’s incredible Championship play-off campaign of 2020-21, Chaplin is the cute No.10 Kieran McKenna wanted at Ipswich: still physical, but instinctive in the final third.
THEY SAID “Conor is the best finisher I’ve ever worked with” – former Ipswich boss Paul Cook.
44 TOM INCE
READING
POSITION MIDFIELDER AGE 31
Under his dad’s guidance at the Madejski, ‘young Thomas’ has had one of his most consistent seasons. Previously an enigma, he now sets the tone, chasing, harrying and cajoling while also bringing his individual ability.
DID YOU KNOW? Royals fansite The Tilehurst End awarded Ince Player of the Month four times. Anybody else fancy stepping up?
43 LAWRENCE VIGOUROUX
LEYTON ORIENT
POSITION GOALKEEPER AGE 29
Leyton Orient have been runaway leaders in League Two this season. What’s the vibe been like?
Really, really good. I’m enjoying it. I don’t do that much in games but what I have done, I felt like I’ve done well. I’m proud to have evolved into someone more reliable.
To what do you owe that improvement?
A lot comes down to the goalkeeping coach and the manager: they give me everything I need to prepare for the weekend, and we go by what we’ve seen in previous games. If I go by my instincts, I could go too high and get lobbed from the halfway line or something! [Laughs]
How did you find Spurs and Liverpool as a youngster?
Tottenham was amazing, training with quality players and seeing the way they took care of themselves, before sessions and after – it was mindblowing. I thought you just turned up, trained and went home! Then I went to Liverpool and the accent was different, the weather was different and I was living on my own for the first time. Training was extremely hard – I tried to take as much as I could from it. I worked with some really great players.
You say you’re ‘unorthodox’. Is that why fans love you?
Perry Suckling at Tottenham always said that, technically as a goalkeeper, I’m not one you’d put on a course as an example. I don’t always move the right way – but as long as the ball doesn’t go in, it doesn’t matter. That’s the main thing I took from him: just to be the kind of keeper I am. I strive to be different, but I want to be reliable.
At Swindon back in 2015, when you were 21, you made headlines for paying a £50 fine in one-penny pieces…
I was late for training and they fined me – but I’d been to the dentist and didn’t really want to pay it. Because they made it tough for me, I made it tough for them and got pennies. To be fair, I took the pennies back and gave them the notes. That won’t happen again. They weren’t happy, but I apologised to everyone. Petulance of a child, I’d say!
You were born and raised in London, but turned out for Chile’s under-20s in 2013 through family links, then had a spell with Everton de Vina del Mar in 2019. You did a Ben Brereton Diaz before it was cool!
[] Definitely! I was called up for Chile’s senior squad in 2018, so I thought that if I moved there, I’d get in a bit more – but I wasn’t really playing a lot at the club I joined. I wanted to be back in London, and then Orient needed a
