Playmaker's EFL 72: #40 Alex Gilbey

We now enter the 'Top 40' of our 'Playmaker 72' countdown, as we profile the best performers from across the EFL this season. 

It's certainly 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!

At number 40, we have one of the best midfielders in League Two. Ladies and gents... Alex Gilbey!

Number 40: Alex Gilbey (MK Dons)

After a journey filled with highs and lows at Charlton Athletic, Alex Gilbey has hit top form back at one of his old hunting grounds. 

Now 29, Gilbey moved to the Addicks from MK Dons back in 2020, but was loaned out by the south Londoners at the start of last season and ended up playing a huge part in Stevenage's promotion season from League Two last season.

A permanent move back to Stadium MK followed last summer and Gilbey has been simply outstanding for the Dons, as he looks to secure back-to-back promotions from the fourth tier.

Skippering the side, with veteran club captain Dean Lewington more on the sidelines this season, Gilbey has been the beating heart of the Buckinghamshire outfit's midfield, and has driven the team forward with energy and commitment.

Under the guidance of manager Mike Williamson, who succeeded the sacked Graham Alexander back in October, the 29-year-old has flourished and hit some career-best figures, in terms of goal involvements. 

The only MK Dons player to play every league fixture this season, Gilbey is remarkably one of only five players to reach double figures for both goals AND assists in League Two this season - the midfielder's strike in a 5-3 win at Harrogate last weekend taking him to 12 goals and 10 assists in the fourth tier. 

Williamson has played a key part in Gilbey's fine form and the Dons' collective uptick in performance, and his influential midfielder has registered eight goals and five assists since the turn of the year to make him the fifth-most productive player in the entire league in 2024.

Gilbey's outstanding goalscoring form has seen him notch a number of eye-catching finishes, but his sublime strike against Salford City is undoubtedly the pick of them and was unsurprisingly selected as a contender for League Two's 'Goal of the Month' for March. 

With Stockport crowned as champions and Mansfield and Wrexham already promoted, Gilbey and the Dons will have to progress through the play-offs if they are to join the Hatters, the Stags and the Red Dragons in League One this season.

With Williamson's assured off-field guidance and Gilbey leading they way on the pitch, they have a very good chance of achieving that goal...

📊Most productive players in March (top 4 tier players; all domestic comps):

9⚽️: PAUL MULLIN (7/2)*
8⚽️: Ellis Simms (7/1)
7⚽️: Cole Palmer (4/3), Joe Taylor (6/1), Alex Gilbey (3/4)

*(⚽️/🅰️)#WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/mMU1rJLSfx

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) April 1, 2024

Playmaker's EFL 72...the countdown

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