Discover the Elite Players in the Opta Analyst Championship Team of the Season for 2024-25!

As the 2024-25 Championship routine season concludes, we have actually thoroughly taken a look at the efficiencies of every gamer to curate our distinguished group of the season. This choice highlights 11 standout people who have actually regularly exceeded their peers in their particular positions, as identified by detailed information analysis instead of subjective viewpoint.

This season was especially marked by the remarkable efficiencies of Leeds United and Burnley, both of whom attained the amazing turning point of collecting 100 points, protecting their promo back to the Premier League. This unmatched accomplishment of 2 groups exceeding the 100-point mark within a single league season describes the considerable representation from both clubs in our choices, which need to not shock devoted fans or experts alike.

Outstanding Goalkeeper of the Season
James Trafford (Burnley)

It’s tough to refute James Trafford’s choice as the leading goalkeeper. He had an amazing season, playing an essential function in Burnley’s effective go back to the Premier League, yielding just 16 objectives throughout 45 Championship looks. His amazing protective expertise was important for the group’s success.

Trafford attained an excellent record of 29 tidy sheets throughout the season, equating to an all-time record in the English Football League for the most tidy sheets by a goalkeeper in a single season, matching the famous records set by Ray King of Port Vale in 1953-54 and Jim Stannard of Gillingham in 1995-96.

Many of these tidy sheets can be credited to his remarkable shot-stopping abilities, as he ranked 2nd amongst Championship goalkeepers in regards to objectives avoided, just behind Vikor Johansson. A standout minute from his season consisted of an outstanding efficiency versus Sunderland in January, where he made 2 essential charge conserves, making sure Burnley protected a hard-fought 0-0 draw.

Top Right-Back Performer
Connor Roberts (Burnley)

Connor Roberts played a necessary function in Burnley’s effective promo project under the assistance of Vincent Kompany throughout the 2022-23 season, and he continued to master the 2024-25 season. His contributions were indispensable as the group promoted the title.

During the season, the Championship runners-up yielded just 14 objectives while Roberts was on the pitch for an overall of 3,941 minutes, balancing a simple one objective versus every 282 minutes he played. This fact highlights his protective stability and strength.

Roberts has actually shown himself as an exceptional protector, especially in individually scenarios, boasting an excellent success rate of 71.7% in ground battles versus challengers. This figure was the greatest amongst all gamers in the Championship who participated in a minimum of 150 ground battles throughout the season, showcasing his protective expertise.

Key Central Defender
Maxime Estève (Burnley)

Maxime Estève probably holds the title of the most essential gamer in Burnley’s record-setting protective season. He distinctively took part in all 46 matches of their promotion-winning project, adding to the group’s historical protective record by missing out on just 83 minutes of action.

Estève began every match where Burnley attained an amazing 30 tidy sheets, which is a testimony to his consistency and dependability as a protector. His existence on the pitch was associated with protective strength for the whole season.

Among protectors in the Championship who participated in a minimum of 250 battles, Estève ranked 18th for battle success at an excellent 63.3%. Additionally, he won a higher portion of aerial battles than he lost, attaining 62.3%, which even more stresses his efficiency in both ground and aerial obstacles.

Prominent Central Defender
Joe Rodon (Leeds United)

Joe Rodon was a stalwart for Leeds United, beginning each of the 46 matches throughout the season, hence making his location as a crucial figure in their Championship title-winning team. He incredibly missed out on just 4 minutes of the whole league project, showcasing his sturdiness and dedication.

Rodon ended up being the 3rd Leeds main protector to begin every league match in a title-winning season, signing up with the ranks of legends like Norman Hunter and Ben White. His contributions were critical in protecting the Championship title.

With a shocking overall of 3,454 finished passes, Rodon led the league in passing precision and volume, showcasing his capability to keep ownership and help with the accumulation play for Leeds. Additionally, he mastered carrying on forward, balancing 11.1 progressive brings per 90 minutes—the greatest amongst main protectors who dipped into least 1,000 minutes, showing his ability to advance the ball efficiently.

Dynamic Left-Back
Junior Firpo (Leeds United)

Junior Firpo became a standout gamer in the Championship, leading all protectors with 10 helps and tape-recording 14 non-penalty objective participations throughout the 2024-25 season. His efficiency marked a substantial turning point, as he ended up being the very first Leeds United protector considering that Ian Harte to attain 10 helps in a single season.

Firpo’s remarkable playmaking capability was highlighted in a standout match versus Cardiff City on February 1, where he provided 3 helps, making him the very first Leeds gamer in over 20 years to attain such an accomplishment in a single video game.

In addition to his help overall, Firpo contributed in producing possibilities, ranking 4th amongst protectors with 44 open-play possibilities produced. Among those who dipped into least 2,000 minutes, he likewise led the league in open-play assaulting series participations per 90 minutes, balancing 4.7, showcasing his assaulting contributions from the backline.

Exceptional Central Midfielder
Ao Tanaka (Leeds United)

Ao Tanaka made an excellent effect in his inaugural season of English football, rapidly developing himself as one of the leading midfielders beyond the Premier League. His efficiency metrics show his considerable contributions to Leeds United’s midfield supremacy.

Among all midfielders who dipped into least 1,500 minutes in the Championship, just Matt Grimes gone beyond Tanaka’s average of 64.1 finished passes per 90 minutes, exhibiting his critical function in managing Leeds’ assaulting play.

Although his assaulting contributions were modest, with 5 objectives and 2 helps, his protective abilities shone vibrantly. Tanaka led the league in winning ownership from challengers to start open-play series that led to shots, attaining this 18 times, with 3 of those leading to objectives—another league-leading fact.

Moreover, he balanced 4.0 deals with and interceptions per 90 minutes, a figure that marks him as the most efficient Leeds midfielder in a Championship season considering that Kalvin Phillips, highlighting his significance to the group’s general efficiency.

Key Central Midfielder
Josh Cullen (Burnley)

Josh Cullen’s addition in the Team of the Season might raise eyebrows, especially in contrast to his colleague, Josh Brownhill. However, Cullen’s work rate and contributions throughout the 2024-25 project were remarkable, developing him as a necessary part of Burnley’s midfield engine.

Cullen ranked 2nd in regards to league minutes bet Burnley outfielders, logging an excellent 3,809 minutes. His passing precision was amazing, finishing 89.0% of his passes, putting him amongst the elite midfielders in the Championship this season.

Despite playing in a much deeper midfield function, Cullen became Burnley’s third-highest possibility developer from open play, producing 34 chances for his colleagues. His protective contributions were similarly outstanding, as he made 99 deals with and interceptions, ranking just behind Lucas Pires because regard, while likewise attaining approximately 5.5 healings per 90 minutes, showcasing his capability to restore ownership.

Influential Central Midfielder
Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough)

Hayden Hackney sticks out as the sole agent in our 2024-25 Championship Team of the Season who does not come from either Burnley or Leeds United. His contributions to Middlesbrough’s midfield contributed, marking him as a conductor of their assaulting play.

Hackney was associated with more open-play assaulting series that culminated in shots than any other gamer in the Championship, signing up 273 such participations. He personally started 49 of these series, carefully following the league leader, Jason Knight of Bristol City.

While his direct contributions of 5 objectives and 3 helps might not show his general impact, his capability to produce secondary possibilities—where a gamer helps the possibility developer—was amazing, leading the league with 66. This fact highlights his important function in Middlesbrough’s offending play.

Additionally, Hackney was the leading main midfielder in regards to ball development, advancing the ball upfield more than any of his peers in the Championship with an overall of 4,347 meters, an ability that makes sure to draw in interest from top-flight clubs this summertime.

Dynamic Right-Winger
Daniel James (Leeds United)

Daniel James showcased his important function in Leeds United’s outstanding assaulting efficiency throughout the season, ranking amongst the leading 10 gamers in the Championship for non-penalty shot participations, with an overall of 143 and approximately 4.9 per 90 minutes.

Alongside Manor Solomon, James became an imaginative powerhouse for Leeds, contributing considerably to their title-winning project. His open-play anticipated objectives helped (xG helped) overall of 8.4 was gone beyond just by Josh Murphy and Solomon, showing his capability to produce scoring chances for his colleagues.

In overall, James was associated with 21 non-penalty objectives this season, consisting of 12 objectives and 9 helps, putting him amongst the league’s leading factors. Notably, he ended up being the very first Leeds United gamer to attain over 20 league objective participations in successive seasons considering that Jermaine Beckford, marking a substantial achievement in his profession.

Exceptional Left-Winger
Manor Solomon (Leeds United)

Manor Solomon differentiated himself by ending up being the very first Leeds United gamer in current history to attain both 10 or more objectives and helps in a league season, ending up with 10 objectives and 12 helps, an amazing task that highlights his offending abilities.

His efficiency peaked throughout the last stretch of the season, where he was straight associated with 8 objectives throughout his last 6 looks, consisting of 3 objectives and 5 helps. Leeds won every match in which Solomon scored, showing his impact on the team’s success.

One of his standout minutes consisted of an essential late objective versus Plymouth Argyle on the last day of the season, sealing the Championship title for Leeds. Solomon was especially efficient in adding to objectives following ball brings, ranking 4th in the league for this metric, with 8 of his objective participations arising from brings, and he mastered producing possibilities, with 28 overall possibilities produced from brings, the greatest amongst Leeds gamers.

His dribbling expertise is even more highlighted by the reality that he was the only Championship gamer to effectively finish over 100 take-ons this season, attaining a success rate of over 51%, showcasing his capability to outmaneuver protectors regularly.

Championship’s Top Striker
Joël Piroe (Leeds United)

It’s not a surprise that Joël Piroe is our option for the striker position in the Team of the Season, provided he was the Championship’s leading goalscorer with an excellent tally of 19 league objectives throughout the 2024-25 season. However, his contributions extended beyond simply scoring.

Piroe likewise supplied 7 helps, causing an amazing overall of 26 objective participations, the greatest of any gamer in the league this season, regardless of playing less than 75% of Leeds’ overall minutes. His capability to produce possibilities was indispensable as he regularly discovered himself in goal-scoring positions, showcasing his offending skill.

His objective tally was unquestionably increased by the assaulting expertise of his colleagues, making Leeds the most powerful assaulting side in the league. Notably, no gamer who played over 1,000 minutes throughout the season had a greater non-penalty anticipated objectives typical per 90 minutes than Piroe, with an excellent average of 0.48.

An emphasize of Piroe’s season began April 21, when he scored 4 objectives in a dominant 6-0 success over Stoke City, marking the earliest hat-trick in the EFL considering that James Beattie’s hat-trick for Sheffield United in April 2008, attained within simply 19 minutes.

However, it deserves keeping in mind that after the Stoke match, Piroe’s scoring rate dipped, as he had a hard time to discover the web in the last 12 looks of the season, which was a frustration considering his respected start.

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