AS VOTED BY THE FANS
50 JOBE BELLINGHAM
SUNDERLAND
POSITION MIDFIELDER AGE 18
Though he’s fared admirably as a false nine due to Sunderland’s issues up top, Jobe is doubtless best deployed in an attacking midfield role. The 18-year-old’s glorious first touch is like glue.
THEY SAID “He doesn’t want to live off the back of his brother’s name,” said Tony Mowbray, then Sunderland manager. “He wants to be the footballer that he is.”
49 MICKEY DEMETRIOU
CREWE ALEXANDRA
POSITION DEFENDER AGE 35
Free transfers don’t come much better. Demetriou departed Newport to lend Crewe’s crèche his experience – but more than that, he’s been transformative and led their promotion charge.
DID YOU KNOW? As of March 1, only 12 League Two players had contributed to more non-penalty goals than the central defender.
48 MATT SMITH
SALFORD CITY
POSITION FORWARD AGE 34
Where might they be without Smith? Despite the Ammies’ struggles, their veteran is in Golden Boot contention while being a reliable outball: he’s contested 250 more headers than anyone else in the fourth tier and boasts the best aerial win rate of any frontman.
HIGHLIGHT October’s hot streak of eight goals in just five games.
47 DAN KEMP
MK DONS
POSITION MIDFIELDER AGE 25
Kemp’s deadly double act with fellow loanee Jake Young inspired Swindon through the first half of the season, and following their respective recalls Kemp carried on his form for MK. His finishing has been superb: 17 goals as of March 6, and 10 assists to boot.
THEY SAID “Best League Two player by a mile” – Charlie Austin.
46 COLBY BISHOP
PORTSMOUTH
POSITION FORWARD AGE 27
Normally Bishops can only move diagonally, but this one can drop into the hole, link up play and graft in the channels. The former Accrington striker provides goals, but it’s his all-round game that’s been crucial to Pompey’s title tilt.
HIGHLIGHT He loves a cheeky backheeled finish – Stevenage learned the hard way in January.
45 JAMIE REID
STEVENAGE
POSITION FORWARD AGE 29
Stevenage’s unlikely bid for back-to-back promotions is built on Reid’s effort, movement and finishing. He’s scoring more in League One than in League Two.
DID YOU KNOW? Last season, the talisman was known locally as ‘Big Goal Reidy’ for his knack of netting in crunch matches. This term… ‘Regular Goal Reidy’?
44 ALI AL-HAMADI
IPSWICH TOWN
POSITION FORWARD AGE 22
Too good for League Two, Al-Hamadi left Wimbledon in January for a Championship promotion battle – some leap. He’s already having an impact with his runs in behind and goals off the bench.
DID YOU KNOW? His family fled Iraq when he was one after his parents stood up to the Saddam regime, ending up in Liverpool.
43 CAMERON BRANNAGAN
OXFORD UNITED
POSITION MIDFIELDER AGE 27
Brannagan is a leader now. Into his seventh season at Oxford, the driven midfielder takes on more defensive duties which frees up Marcus McGuane to create. He’d have several more goals himself but for the dastardly woodwork.
THEY SAID “A Championship player playing in League One” – Stevenage supremo Steve Evans.
42 ELLIOT LEE
WREXHAM
POSITION MIDFIELDER AGE 29
You beat your previous best goal tally for a season (12) by Christmas – what’s been working so well for you?
Scoring goals is both something I’m always working on and something that comes naturally to me. Growing up in the West Ham academy, I was a striker. Now I’m more of a No.8, but I want to add goals wherever I’m playing. I’m delighted with my goal return, although football is statistics-based these days – everyone’s so obsessed with the numbers that they forget to actually watch a game of football and acknowledge talented players. Winning is most important: if it meant we got promoted this season, I’d happily not score another goal.
Do you ever get advice from your dad, Rob?
Yeah, always. Not many people can call on advice from an ex-England international. He lets me get on with it, but he tells me when I’m playing well and if I’m not. We have honest conversations about how I can do things better.
It seemed a gamble when you dropped to the National League in 2022, having been in the Championship or on loan in League One. What enticed you to Wrexham?
A lot of people wondered why I dropped down, but when you speak to the manager [Phil Parkinson], you speak to the owners and you see the support around the place, it was a no-brainer. I wanted a new project – I’d been with Luton who had climbed through the leagues, which was such a brilliant feeling and gave you a real pride for being part of something special. I saw the same happening at Wrexham. The National League wasn’t a league I wanted to stick around in – I aimed to be there for a year and get out. Fortunately, it worked that way.
Have you had many dealings with Wrexham’s owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney?
Yeah, they’re always involved with the players; they like to check in on you and see how you’re getting on. They come to games and they’re with us in the changing room before and afterwards. They’re definitely not owners who’ve just bought a club and aren’t involved. They’re caring people: they care about the club, the players, the supporters and the community. What they’ve both done for Wrexham has been incredible. They’re very hands-on and encouraging. Even when we had a spell of not winning matches, they were the first people to back us,
