Antoine Semenyo’s £62.5million move to Manchester City once again proved the value of the Championship as a training ground.
The winger cut his teeth at Bristol City before joining Bournemouth and while clubs often look abroad for talent, England’s second tier has bred a steady list of top-flight stars in recent years.
Eberechi Eze, Ollie Watkins, Bryan Mbeumo, Viktor Gyokeres, Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen and Harvey Elliott were all playing in the Championship at some point in the 2020s and are now established Premier League and international stars.
There are, of course, a few Championship aces who struggle with the step up. The likes of Lewis Grabban, Jordan Rhodes and Gary Hooper were prolific in the second tier but couldn’t perform at a higher level.
All the same, we wanted to take the current crop of Championship prospects and predict who could be the next big thing.
Three rules: They have to be 23 or under, they can’t be well-known from the Premier League and no loan players are allowed. That rules out many talents, so we’ve included some as honourable mentions at the end.
Antoine Semenyo is the latest star to have gone on the journey from the EFL to the elite, after the former Bristol City man’s big-money move to Manchester City
Semenyo began his career with the Robins, and spent time on loan at Bath City, Newport County and Sunderland before joining Bournemouth
Ollie Watkins, who scored the winning goal for England in the Euro 2024 semi-final, came through at Exeter and Brentford
Hayden Hackney
Age: 23 Club: Middlesbrough Position: Midfield
Hackney is an exquisite midfielder and if Middlesbrough continue on their current trajectory then he will be a Premier League player come August.
He is one of the Championship’s worst-kept secrets. Middlesbrough have known they’ve had something special on their hands for a few years now and the youngster from nearby Redcar isn’t shy about his flair.
When he gets into the final third, Hackney has a sixth sense for picking out a killer pass, avoiding the snapping feet of defenders, and scoring the occasional piledriver.
Liverpool, Tottenham and both Manchester clubs have all sent scouts to watch him in the past. Former Boro boss Rob Edwards would like him at Wolves but Hackney may be wise to steer clear of that option.
Don’t bet against him getting an England call-up in the next few years. He was part of the Under 21s side that won the Euros in the summer, providing the assist for…