Skip to content

Ben White? Nathan Ferguson? Jarrod Bowen? Who is the best young player in the Championship?

Vote for who you think is the best young player in the Championship from the list of 10 below.

Who is the best young player in the Sky Bet Championship this season?

Two of our Sky Sports pundits have picked out a shortlist of 10 players aged 22 or under who have starred in the second tier this season, and now it's time for you to vote for who you think is the best.

Keith Andrews and Jobi McAnuff have made their selection, and you can hear what they think on this week's Sky Sports EFL Podcast.

All you have to do is ready through the options and then vote below. The winner will be revealed on next Monday's edition of the Podcast.

Jude Bellingham (Birmingham) - Midfielder, 16

Jude Bellingham of Birmingham City celebrates after he scores their second goal

Still just 16, Bellingham has already become a vital component in Birmingham's midfield, making 18 appearances in the Championship this season and scoring twice. In August he became Birmingham's youngest ever player and goal scorer.

"What I have seen in Jude is that the more games that he has played the more difficult it has become for me to see a ceiling in his performances," boss Pep Clotet told Sky Sports earlier this month. I just get the feeling that he is getting better and better."

Jayden Bogle (Derby) - Right-back,19

Broke through at Derby under Frank Lampard last year, making 50 appearances across all competitions as they made it to the play-off final, scoring twice as well. Has had a few injury problems this season but is still a regular under Phillip Cocu when fit.

Also See:

Such is the quality of Bogle that Cocu believes he could play in a more advanced role. "It is always possible that we do it again because Jayden is a full-back but had a lot of years as a winger in his younger years," Cocu told RamsTV. "He feels good and his agility and individual qualities suit also this position. When the team needs it then of course it is possible. We also know that he can do the job very well as a full-back."

Jarrod Bowen (Hull City) - Winger/Forward, 22

Jarrod Bowen Hull City

One of the star performers in the Championship in the last couple of seasons. Bowen has already reached 50 goals for Hull City, and has 15 in 22 this campaign. Premier League clubs are looking, but Bowen says he's committed to the Tigers.

"Like I've always said, I'm with Hull no matter what the interest," he told Sky Sports this month. "I think the interest just comes when you are doing well on the pitch, so I've just got to put it to the back of my mind, do what I'm good at on the pitch and everything else will take care of itself, I'm sure."

Grady Diangana (West Brom, on loan from West Ham) - Winger, 21

Grady Diangana

Diangana broke into the first team at West Ham last season under Manuel Pellegrini, and was sent out on loan to West Brom this season to further his experience. His performances have been such that West Ham are believed to be considering recalling the winger in January.

Slaven Bilic, naturally, wants him to stay. "It's his first season where he's an important part of the team that is fighting for something," he said. "I'm not only talking about the pressure and everything, it's also off the pitch. It's great for him. He's on a great path, he's enjoying every game. He's raising his game, he's growing and it would, for me, not be good for him and also for West Ham long term - and for us, of course - to stop that process."

Eberechi Eze (QPR) - Attacking midfielder, 21

An established member of QPR's first team now, and arguably their key player. Everything good about Mark Warburton's side in an attacking sense generally goes through Eze, and he has already enjoying by far his best season in front of goal, having netted nine times in 21 appearances so far.

"There are no limits for Eze," QPR boss Mark Warburton told QPR TV. "It is down to him and how hard he works. Ebe is a tremendous talent. I want him to enjoy his football and he has got to understand how much hard work is required to maximise the talent that he has."

Nathan Ferguson (West Brom) - Left-back/right-back, 19

Prospects

The second nomination from West Brom, but, unlike Diangana, Ferguson is a product of their youth academy. He was handed his debut by Bilic at the start of the season and has earned rave reviews for his performances in both full-back positions.

"I was there for his debut against Nottingham Forest," said Andrews, who picked Ferguson as his best young player. "You're always wondering how someone that young is going to deal with first-team football and it was amazing, it was amazing to watch how easily he slotted in."

Conor Gallagher (Charlton, on loan from Chelsea) - Midfielder, 19

Charlton Athletic's Conor Gallagher

Gallagher hadn't made a senior appearance at any level before joining Charlton on loan in the summer, but it appears that Lee Bowyer has unearthed another gem from the Chelsea academy. The midfielder looked made for first-team football immediately and has scored six goals in a string of influential performances.

"The kid's doing so well, I don't know how much more I can praise him," said Bowyer. "It's not just what he brings in possession, his work-rate, he's everywhere. He's literally everywhere. He just does not stop working for the team and we're lucky to have him. He's a great player and Chelsea have got a good one there."

Karlan Grant (Huddersfield) - Striker, 22

Grant impressed so much for Charlton in League One last season that Huddersfield took him all the way up to the Premier League, where he managed to score four times despite their inevitable relegation. He has 11 goals already this campaign even as the Terriers have struggled on their return to the Championship.

"I only worry if other clubs don't want my players because it's a bit like having a girlfriend, isn't it? If you've got a girlfriend nobody else wants maybe you question why she's your girlfriend, so I think you want a girlfriend and a wife who other people look at," said Huddersfield boss Danny Cowley. "It's the same for the players. You want good players and if you've got good players with an excellent attitude and work ethic and high quality, then it's natural that other people would want them."

Han-Noah Massengo (Bristol City) - Midfielder, 18

One of the standout signings in the summer, Massengo was considered a teenage wonderkid at Monaco and chose Ashton Gate as his ground to further develop. He made his league debut under against PSG of all teams, but fell out of favour once Thierry Henry left the club.

"If he keeps the current path and attitude, just turned 18, I haven't seen many better," said boss Lee Johnson after he signed Massengo. "It's an unbelievable coup for us to get a kid like this, but he is a kid."

Ben White (Leeds, on loan from Brighton) - Centre-back, 22

Leeds fans may have been concerned when talismanic defender Pontus Jansson left in the summer with seemingly no replacement. They need not have worried, though, as White has arguably been a huge improvement.

"He's got all aspects to his game," said McAnuff, who picked White as his best young player in the Championship. "He doesn't mind a tackle, he reads it really well and has the composure to find that pass and really get Leeds on the go. You look at John Stones, for example, for me that's the next step for him; getting a move or going back to Brighton and possibly playing there, proving himself at the top level. He's got all the ingredients to go and do it, that's for sure."

Soccer Saturday Super 6
Soccer Saturday Super 6

FREE TO PLAY: Do not miss your chance to land the £250,000 jackpot for the fifth time this year.

Around Sky