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The 2024 iteration of the 'Playmaker 72' is flying along and we're already into the 'Top 50' players we think have had the best seasons throughout the EFL.
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!
Number 49 was once tipped to be one of the most promising teenagers in Europe, but struggled to live up to expectations until this season, where he has finally demonstrated his true potential. We're talking about none other than the Seasiders' wizard, Karamoko Dembele.
Since the tender age of 13, Karamoko Dembele's name has been familiar to many football fans, especially for the Football Manager enthusiasts looking to sign some wonderkids.
Dembele caught the eye of of everyone when he debuted for the Celtic's Under-20s side at the age of 13, with many tipping the talented winger to be the sport's next superstar.
However, despite his early debut for Celtic first team at just 16 years old in May 2019, Dembele struggled to make an impact with the Bhoys.
The youngster made a switch to French side Brest in the summer of 2022 – yet once more, things didn't not work out as he expected and last summer he made a move to Blackpool where things look like they are finally working out. This campaign, Dembele has been one of the best players in League One.
With seven goals and 11 assists in 37 League One appearances, Dembele has been instrumental in Blackpool's quest for a promotion play-off spot.
His stellar form is shown by some impressive statistics, where it shows how dangerous he is in the last third of the pitch. He ranks fifth for most key passes (73) in League One.
Also, among under-21 players across the top four tiers, only Leeds' Georginio Rutter (15) has registered more assists than Dembele's tally of 11.
As a consequence of this stellar season at the Seasiders, Dembele has been deservedly nominated for the EFL League One Young Player of the Season Award.
His manager will surely agree with that, following Blackpool's win over Shrewsbury Town back in March, Neil Critchley put into words just how important the youngster has been for Blackpool: "He’s a brilliant footballer, I love watching him play. He’s exciting, he’s something different in this league. He’s really courageous, he takes the ball into any area of the pitch and backs himself- he’s got real bravery. He’s a lovely boy and is great to work with."
Dembele serves as an inspiration for many footballers who, once tipped as the next big thing, only to disappear when things don't go as planned. However, the 21-year-old wasn't afraid to take a step down to a lower division to show his abilities and now he'll undoubtedly approach his next move with increased confidence, whatever it may be.
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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NameKaramoko Kader Dembélé Born/Age2003-02-22(21 -yrs-old) Nationality England Scotland PositionForward (Right Wing) / Forward (Left Wing) | |
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