A lot of talented footballers have played in the Championship since the rebrand ahead of the 2004/05 season.
Some of them even left fans wondering what they were doing in the English second tier rather than playing in the top flight somewhere else.
Most would eventually get a chance in the Premier League, though it may have proved too much for a few.
In light of Adel Taarabt’s official retirement this week, let’s revisit some of the most magical individual seasons in the Championship.
Ashley Young (2005/06)
- Club: Watford
- Key stats: 14 goals, 13 assists
Just over two decades ago, a young – no pun intended – Ashley showed the first glimpses of the player he would become. All the free-kick and curling, long-distance goals we would grow used to seeing from him in Aston Villa and Manchester United colours started to show up early.
Still at Watford and just 20 years old, Young recorded a ‘double-double’, scoring 14 goals and providing 13 assists. He was instrumental in taking the Hornets all the way to Millenium Stadium in the play-off final – even scoring in the semis against Crystal Palace.
Peter Whittingham (2009/10)
- Club: Cardiff
- Key stats: 22 goals, 12 assists
It’s impossible to talk about Championship heritage and not mention the great Peter Whittingham. A Cardiff City legend, the former midfielder had the best season of his career in 2009/10.
Whittingham finished the campaign as the top goalscorer in the league with 22 goals – while also providing 12 assists. He led the Bluebirds all the way to Wembley that year, though they ultimately failed to reach the Premier League.
Blackpool went up after winning 3-2, despite being down twice, with all five goals coming in the first half. Whittingham created both of Cardiff’s goals, scored by Michael Chopra and Joe Ledley.
Adel Taarabt (2010/11)
- Club: QPR
- Key stats: 19 goals, 19 assists
The reason why we are writing this whole piece. Adel Taarabt recently hung his boots for good after a three-year stint at the United Arab Emirates.
He played for three clubs in England, first at Tottenham Hotspur and lastly at Fulham. But his prime was certainly at Queens Park Rangers.
And no season comes close to what he did in the 2010/11 Championship. 19 goals and 19 assists across 44 matches. Not to mention a league-high 82 chances created and dazzling skills to go along with all of it.
Taarabt is the first of the current list to have won the Championship Player of the Season award, leading QPR to the title and Premier League football for the first time since 1995/96.
Rickie Lambert (2011/12)
- Club: Southampton
- Key stats: 27 goals, 13 assists
Rickie Lambert provided a different kind of magic on his day. But still enough to make the list.
A whopping 40 goal contributions in 42 games, scoring 27 of his own and creating a further 13. And Southampton needed every single one of those in what was a tight race for the top two.
Only three points separated champions Reading (89) from third-placed West Ham United (86), with Saints sandwiched between them (88).
Lambert was already 30 at the time, which makes his feats all the more impressive. After two straight seasons in League One, not only did he not feel the difficulties that come with the leap but also improved as the level went up. He went on to play for Liverpool, the team he supported during his childhood, and represent England at the 2014 World Cup.
Craig Bryson (2013/14)
- Club: Derby
- Key stats: 16 goals, 13 assists
As well as Lambert, Craig Bryson wasn’t any kind of electric, skillful player. But he delivered big time for Derby County in 2013/14.
Seven of the eight players that recorded 25+ goal contributions in the Championship that year were strikers. Ross McCormack, David Nugent, Chris Martin, Troy Deeney, Jordan Rhodes, Lewis Grabban and Danny Ings. Bryson was the only midfielder in the list.
Sixteen goals — only one penalty — and 13 assists is a formidable and remarkable return. Derby ultimately fell victim to Bobby Zamora’s stoppage-time winner at Wembley in the play-off final that year though.
Matt Ritchie (2014/15)
- Club: Bournemouth
- Key stats: 15 goals, 17 assists
Matt Ritchie is one more in this line of unspectacular, yet extremely solid and reliable players. Pure energy, work-rate and ball-striking abilities. And they were all in full display as Bournemouth‘s incredible rise through the English football pyramid peaked with promotion to the Premier League in 2015.
One of the very few players to both score (15) and assist (17) 15+ goals in a single Championship season, he was arguably robbed of the Player of the Season award. Middlesbrough striker Patrick Bamford took it home despite losing in the play-off final and scoring just two more goals than Ritchie.
His wand of a left foot guided the Cherries to lifting the Championship trophy and having the best attack in the division (98 goals).
Anthony Knockaert (2016/17)
- Club: Brighton
- Key stats: 15 goals, 8 assists
Back to the ‘usual’ kind of magic, Anthony Knockaert had arguably the best season of his career for Brighton and Hove Albion in the 2016/17 Championship.
The Seagulls went up in second place, just one point behind Newcastle United and 11 above third-placed Reading.
The Frenchman showed great chemistry with striker Glenn Murray in Chris Hughton’s system. They scored a combined 38 goals, with Knockaert delivering 15 of his own and creating a further eight.
He also featured among the top-three players in successful take-ons (2.7) per game and in the top seven for chances created (2.2) per game. All of that helped him secure the Championship Player of the Year award.
Joe Lolley (2018/19)
- Club: Nottingham Forest
- Key stats: 11 goals, 11 assists
Joe Lolley falls more in the ‘one season wonder’ kind of ‘streets won’t forget’ player. But what he did for Nottingham Forest in 2018/19 is still sacred to Championship fans.
A double-double, to start things off: 11 goals and 11 assists. The only other player to record more than 10 in each of those metrics was Pablo Hernandez for Leeds United (12 and 12).
Lolley completed at least 19 take-ons more than any other player, recording a league-high 110. He also ranked third in big chances created (15) and sixth in chances created (84).
It wasn’t a remarkable season for Forest, though, who finished ninth – eight points below the play-off spots.
Matheus Pereira (2019/20)
- Club: West Brom
- Key stats: 8 goals, 16 assists
It’s still hard to fathom why on earth Matheus Pereira played in the second tier of English football. He had already had a great season in Portugal and also shown glimpses of quality in Germany. But West Bromwich Albion took the opportunity and did not regret.
The Baggies won automatic promotion – much thanks to the Brazilian’s contributions. Eight goals and 16 assists in 42 games, as well as league-highs in big chances created (20) and chances created – being the only one to reach a century in the latter (116).
What impressed football fans the most was how easily Matheus Pereira translated his fine Championship form into the Premier League the following season.
The Baggies ended up relegated, but the Brazilian still managed to produce 11 goals and 6 assists in 33 games in the top flight.
Said Benrahma (2019/20)
- Club: Brentford
- Key stats: 17 goals, 8 assists
Thankfully, there was room for another skillful magician in the 2019/20 Championship. Said Benrahma lit the division on fire for Brentford, despite extra-time heartbreak in the play-off final.
The Algerian scored 17 goals and assisted eight in 43 matches, being, at worst, a top-two player in the league that year. He led the league in successful take-ons (140) and ranked fourth in chances created (97).
Play-off success would come the following season, but he left in the January transfer window for West Ham, never being able to replicate his form in the Premier League. The heights he reached in 2019/20 remain unmatched in his career.
Emiliano Buendia (2020/21)
- Club: Norwich
- Key stats: 15 goals, 16 assists
Emiliano Buendia had already showed what he was capable of in the Championship during the 2018/19 season — and even the following year in the Premier League. But he stayed at Norwich City after relegation and had his best individual campaign in 2020/21.
One of the members of the aforementioned 15/15 club, he scored 15 goals and assisted a further 16 for Norwich that season. He also created his own club – of players that recorded 90+ chances created and tackles in a single campaign twice (since 2014/15).
The Canaries won the league with relative ease and he got his big-money move to current club Aston Villa.
Crysencio Summerville (2023/24)
- Club: Leeds
- Key stats: 19 goals, 9 assists
Crysencio Summerville also looked like a player that didn’t belong in the Championship – but in a positive way. Leeds somehow didn’t go up that year, becoming the first of now are only two sides to win 90 points and not win promotion. Sheffield United would later join them the following season.
The Dutchman delivered 28 goal contributions (19 goals, 9 assists) and was also one of just three players to record 60+ chances created (120), successful take-ons (101), fouls won (81) and tackles (62).
It was enough to convince West Ham to pay over £25million for his services.