There are now just six players left in this year's edition of the 'Playmaker 72' and you can tell how high the quality is when this player is the Championship top scorer.
It's certainly been no easy task, but - just to clarify - our '72' is less a roll call of the best footballers in the EFL and more a tribute to those players who have enjoyed the most memorable seasons while racking up the most impressive stats.
Whatever the criteria, we're confident in our selections of the most outstanding players through the Championship, League One, and League Two and welcome any debate on the subject!
A player who has arguably saved Blackburn Rovers' season, next up we have Sammie Szmodics...
While Blackburn Rovers' season was far from a vintage one, Sammie Szmodics has been in the form of his life evidenced by the attacking midfielder being named, quite comfortably, his team's Player of the Season.
The 28-year-old ended the season as the Championship's top scorer, is the current joint top scorer of the FA Cup, and he at long last earned his first international cap.
Szmodics initially signed for Blackburn from Peterborough United costing just over £1 million and it's proven to be a bargain signing.
After scoring a modest 7 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions during his first season at Ewood Park, this year has been raining goals with Szmodics netting 33 goals in 48 games in all competitions.
27 of Szmodics' 33 goals came in the Championship (with the other half dozen in the FA Cup where he tops the charts alongside Ellis Simms) making him the second tier's top scorer by a healthy margin of six over Adam Armstrong (21 goals).
What's more impressive is that none of those 27 league goals came from the spot with 25 of them from open play and the remaining two from set-pieces.
The Irish international's magic right foot also provided the bulk of the output with 22 goals scored with his right peg while a further three came from his left and the final two with his head.
Just wanna say a massive thankyou. Thankyou to players staff and fans. Without you we’re nothing. We did that today for you. Thankyou to my amazing family for always sticking by me. Now time For a well earned rest and to go again next year. Enjoy your summer. Szmods 💙💙 @Rovers pic.twitter.com/EcdsbqZAhm
— Sam Szmodics (@SamSzmodics) May 4, 2024
Szmodics finished the season with a brace against champions Leicester City as Rovers avoided the drop with a hugely important victory.
Both goals came as Blackburn counterattacked with Szmodics' pace ensuring the likes of Wout Faes and Jannik Vestergaard had no chance of catching up to him.
The second was a particularly special moment as Mads Hermansen charged out of his goal with Szmodics having half of the pitch to run into. The Rovers man knocked the ball past the Leicester goalkeeper and had the enjoyment of being able to celebrate his goal before actually scoring as he eventually rolled the ball into an empty net.
It was a performance that summed up Szmodics' season as he saved John Eustace's team from a potentially disastrous campaign.
Inevitably, a season like the Blackburn man will attract a lot of transfer rumours with Luton Town and Brentford among the clubs said to be interested.
Of course, Blackburn fans will be hoping Szmodics stays with the player under contract until 2026 with an option for another year. It's up to Szmodics' many suitors to test the Lancashire club's resolve this summer.
8: Elliot Lee 9: Adam Armstrong 10: Davis Keillor-Dunn 11: Georginio Rutter
12: Gabriel Sara 13: Marlon Pack 14: Macaulay Langstaff 15: Ephron Mason-Clark
16: Dan Kemp 17: Joe Taylor 18: Eiran Cashin 19: Ali Al-Hamadi
20: Jack Clarke 21: Isaac Olaofe 22: Carl Piergiani 23: Jaden Philogene
24: Alfie May 25: Will Evans 26: Jamie Reid 27: Morgan Whittaker
28: Conor Chaplin 29: George Thomason 30: Mickey Demetriou
31: Stephy Mavididi 32: Marc Leonard 33: Josh Sheehan
34: Matt Smith 35: Kwame Poku 36: Illan Meslier 37: Aden Flint
38: Ronnie Edwards 39: Josh Sargent 40: Alex Gilbey 41: Ben Sheaf
42: Jobe Bellingham 43: Devante Cole 44: Jacob Greaves 45: Paddy Lane
46: Herbie Kane 47: Dan James 48: Archie Collins 49: Karamoko Dembele
50: Haji Wright 51: Dan Crowley 52: Cameron Brannagan 53: Aaron Collins
54: Andy Cook 55: Connor Shaughnessy 56: Jannik Vestergaard
57: Willy Gnonto 58: Ellis Simms 59: Charlie Hughes 60: Fatawu Isshaku
61: Sam Hoskins 62: Paul Mullin 63: Chris Martin 64: Omari Hutchinson
65: Isaac Hutchinson 66: Sam Tickle 67: Ben Hinchcliffe 68: Michał Helik
69: Lewis Wing 70: Rob Apter 71: Kyle Walker-Peters 72: Alex Palmer
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NameSamuel Joseph Szmodics Born/Age1995-09-24(28 -yrs-old) Nationality Rep. of Ireland  Hungary PositionMidfielder (Attacking Midfielder) | |
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