As Sky Sports picks out 125 players to watch in the Football League, here's the Championship 1-30.
With the Football League currently celebrating its 125-year anniversary since inception and with the new season to get underway in earnest at the weekend, we've spread our net across the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two to pick out 125 shining lights outside of the Premier League for the 2013/14 campaign.
Even if you're the type of supporter that doesn't have to debate whether the glass is half-full or half-empty because you've long-since since drained the contents, there's no need for despair as we've picked out at least one player from every club.
In total, we've ranked 65 players from the Championship and selected 30 each from Leagues One and Two respectively as those most likely to make a significant impact this season.
It's all a matter of opinions though and we'd love to hear yours. So if we've got your club's star man all wrong or missed a young kid all set for a breakthrough campaign let us know by filling in the feedback form below.
1. Wigan Athletic - James McCarthy
Whilst rumours continue apace of a rendezvous with former manager Roberto Martinez at Everton, for the time being at least McCarthy is an extremely talented Championship footballer. Only 22 and yet with over 250 career appearances, over half of these games have been at Premier League or international level. A box-to-box midfielder with the emphasis on passing and movement in the attacking third, there has been talk that any bid to prise McCarthy from the DW Stadium must be greater than £15million. Given similar fees for Jordan Henderson, Joe Allen and Jack Rodwell in recent times, it's difficult to blame Wigan for that stance.
2. Queens Park Rangers - Adel Taarabt
There is no doubt that Taarabt struggled during QPR's spell in the Premier League, and the player's attitude was rightly doubted by both Mark Hughes and Harry Redknapp last season. After angling for a move abroad (which may still come to fruition) he now finds himself back in the Championship, a division in which he dominated last time around. It is the evident cliché of the mercurial talent, but rings true - on his day Taarabt is potentially the finest player in the Football League.
3. Queens Park Rangers - Loic Remy
Another of QPR's squad that is unlikely to see out the full Championship season, it seems suitably bizarre that a player of Remy's standard could line up against Sheffield Wednesday on August 3rd. Remy has 18 international caps and is still just 26, and although his six goals towards the end of last season could not keep Rangers in the Premier League, he would be a frightening prospect in the second tier. Supporters of QPR's early Championship opponents will be suitably cursing the fixture computer, handing them a sterner test than they would potentially face after the transfer window has closed.
4. Blackpool - Tom Ince
There was a great deal of surprise when Ince revealed that he had turn down a move to Cardiff City, but the Premier League's loss is the Championship and Blackpool's substantial gain. A player possessing majestic skill with an impressive goalscoring record (18 league goals from midfield), Ince was the principle reason for Blackpool avoiding a more serious relegation threat last season. Named in the Championship Team of the Year, expect more Premier League interest before the end of August.
5. Blackburn Rovers - Jordan Rhodes
A meteoric rise, it seems that Rhodes takes each step up the ladder with less difficulty than the one previous - the figures surrounding the striker's goal record are phenomenal. 100 league goals in the last four seasons and 70 in the last two seasons in all competitions, Rhodes more than justified the £8million fee that Blackburn paid Huddersfield last summer. No player in England has more league goals over the last two years, and unless Blackburn improve markedly this season, one suspects that the 23-year-old will receive a multitude of offers from Premier League clubs.
6. Queens Park Rangers - Esteban Granero
Even a year after the deal was done, it still seems crazy that QPR were able to sign a 25-year-old midfielder from Real Madrid. The deal cost the club in the region of £9million. Having won the La Liga title in 2011/12 the following season was a comparative disaster as Granero failed to hold down a regular starting place during a season of woe for his club. Now in the Championship, Granero has indicated that he is willing to remain at Loftus Road. "I was not thinking about going to the Championship when I joined but that is the reality now. I like life in London. We now prepare for life next season." Supporters should be delighted to have him on show.
7. Wigan Athletic - Shaun Maloney
One of the brightest lights in Wigan's rather dim league season last term, Maloney finally showed the potential displayed at Celtic and Aston Villa, the fee of £850,000 that the Latics paid for his services now looks like fantastic business. Appearing in all but two Premier League games last season, Maloney made nine assists (no player outside the top seven made as many) and scored six league goals. There have been rumours that Everton are interested in the winger's services, but if Wigan can hold on to their man he will be a valuable asset at Championship level.
8. Derby County - Will Hughes
It isn't every season that Barcelona reportedly show interest in a Championship player, but that simply highlights the talent demonstrated by 18-year-old Hughes in his early career. Born in 1995 (that'll make you feel old), Hughes is an attacking midfielder with a flair about his game. His dribbling and passing are far above his years, and he was called up to Stuart Pearce's England U21 squad at the age of 17. One suspects that this could well be Hughes' last season at this level.
9. Queens Park Rangers - Park Ji-Sung
Park is a midfielder that has won almost all he can at club level. Six league titles, one Dutch Cup, three League Cups, the Champions League and the Club World Cup. His move to QPR was a sign that the club meant business in the transfer window last summer, but instead turned into something of a disaster. At Championship level, the midfielder should benefit from a slightly slower pace, potentially able to run things in midfield. At 32, he will not want to be away from the top table for long.
10. Leicester City - Kasper Schmeichel
Failure to make the most of their play-off appearance last term was always likely to leave Leicester vulnerable when the transfer window re-opened. They have, however, been able to bat away any unwanted interest in their top talents. Hull City made it pretty clear that they were keen to take Schmeichel with them to the Premier League, but the Danish goalkeeper remains part of the set-up at the King Power Stadium. He has some way to go to emulate the achievements of his father - Manchester United legend Peter - but at 26 years of age time is still on his side and he has all the attributes required to become a great - with his reflexes among the sharpest in the business.
11. Bolton Wanderers - Chris Eagles
When Bolton appointed Dougie Freedman as their manager in October 2012, he said he wanted to build a team around Eagles - that's how good he is. The 27-year-old former Manchester United trainee did not disappoint his new boss, as he helped to spark a remarkable reversal in fortunes for the Trotters which carried them agonisingly close to a play-off spot. Eagles was unplayable at times over the second half the season and ended the campaign with 12 goals to his name and as many assists. If he can hit the ground running in 2013/14, there is no reason why he cannot better those tallies in another promotion push.
