The Championship has seen some of the greatest moments in English football history, and it has helped to build stars for the future while also hosting some of those who are ending their careers.

Each summer, second-tier clubs attempt to up the ante and increase their spending as the Premier League dream infects all 24 clubs set to participate in the league, resulting in a slew of weird, thrilling, and surprising arrivals.

With the 2025/26 Championship campaign nearing its end, Football League World has identified seven players who surprised the entire division by joining a league team.

Here are seven of the most stunning signings in EFL Championship history, ranging from football legends to teams that defeated Premier League rivals to the acquisition of important players.

Wayne Rooney joins Derby County from DC United.

Few Derby County supporters believed the claims about Wayne Rooney joining the club ahead of their first game of the 2019/20 season against Huddersfield Town. However, the very following day, the England and Manchester United veteran was confirmed as the club’s newest recruit, and he would join the squad in January 2020.

Rooney, who had left MLS team DC United for the East Midlands, was ready for his first Championship game. He made 491 Premier League appearances, was Manchester United’s record goalscorer, and had 120 caps for his nation, but he was eager to play at Pride Park as his new club competed for the play-offs.

While he spent just under a year playing for Derby, he went on to spend more than two years as manager, and few anticipated the now-40-year-old to finish his career in England’s second division.

Crystal Palace signs free agent Edgar Davids.

Edgar Davids has made two pretty odd moves to the EFL in his career, and while his appointment as player-manager at Barnet in 2012 raised some eyebrows, it was nothing new for the Dutch star, who had previously moved to the Championship with Crystal Palace two years before.

Prior to his move to Selhurst Park, the midfielder had played for some of Europe’s top clubs, including Barcelona, AC and Inter Milan, and Juventus, but he sought a new challenge when he joined the Eagles in August 2010.

His contract with Ajax expired in June 2009, and despite Leicester City withdrawing an approach for him later that year, he eventually got his chance in the Championship. Nonetheless, he only appeared seven times for Palace on a pay-per-play basis and stated upon his departure (via BBC Sport): “I want to thank all the people who supported me and gave me one of the greatest experiences of my life.”

John Terry: Chelsea to Aston Villa

When John Terry departed Chelsea in 2017, it appeared that one of England’s best ever centre backs was retiring and moving on to the next chapter of his career. However, only four days after his contract with the Blues expired, he joined with Aston Villa.

The Villans were starting their second season in the second tier, and Terry made his way to Villa Park after refusing down offers to stay in the Premier League because he did not want to play his previous club. He played 36 games in all competitions, and his team advanced to the play-off final.

However, Aston Villa were beaten by Fulham at Wembley Stadium, and Terry’s playing career ended that summer after more than 750 club games, 492 of which were in the Premier League.

Taribo West: Al-Arabi to Plymouth Argyle.

Taribo West is perhaps best known in England for his time with Derby in the 2000/01 Premier League season, when the Nigerian centre-back helped keep the Rams in the division while on loan from AC Milan.

However, in the summer of 2005, he joined Plymouth Argyle in the Championship. He had high expectations for his time in Devon, stating upon his arrival (via BBC Sport): “I appreciate the club’s vision and the coach’s passion. I’m looking forward to my stay here. I aspire to play in the first team and assist the club reach the Premier League.”

West appeared only five times for the Greens, and his contract was canceled three months after he signed a one-year agreement at Home Park. He eventually relocated to Iran, but failed to make a single start for Paykan and retired only two years after leaving Plymouth.

Ashley Cole joins Derby County from the LA Galaxy.

When Frank Lampard was in charge of Derby in the 2018/19 Championship season, he made extensive use of his Chelsea connections, bringing in Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount on loan from his former club. However, they were not the only players at Pride Park with ties to Stamford Bridge that year.

Ashley Cole had spent three seasons in the MLS with the LA Galaxy, but when his contract expired in late 2018, he reconnected with Lampard, his former Chelsea colleague, in the East Midlands. Helping out at left-back owing to Craig Forsyth’s long-term injury, he made his debut against Hull City on February 2019.

Cole scored Derby’s first and only FA Cup goal against Brighton & Hove Albion in a fifth-round defeat at the AMEX Stadium, before appearing once again at Wembley in the play-off final, when his side was defeated by Aston Villa. This defeat deprived him the opportunity to return to the Premier League, where he had previously appeared 384 times.

Pontus Jansson from Leeds United to Brentford.

In 2019, Derby defeated Leeds United in the Championship play-off semi-finals, leaving Pontus Jansson stunned and upset as he struggled to process what had just happened at Elland Road. It would be his final performance in a Whites shirt.

That summer, he left West Yorkshire to join Brentford, a club looking to improve after a disappointing 2018/19 season in comparison to their high expectations. Many were startled by the move, with Premier League clubs interested in signing the Swedish defender away from Elland Road.

Disagreements between Jansson and former Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa eventually led to his Elland Road departure, and he joined Brentford, a straight promotion competitor. He eventually helped the Bees to the Premier League the following season.

Jay-Jay Okocha – Qatar SC to Hull City.

He was so good, he was given two names. Before joining Qatar SC, Jay-Jay Okocha was a standout for Bolton Wanderers during their most successful period in the Premier League. Just a year later, he was back in England with Hull City.

Okocha, a Nigerian icon, had previously played at the highest level for PSG and Frankfurt, and his move to the Tigers came after they nearly averted relegation to League One from the previous year came as a huge shock. Nonetheless, he appeared 18 times in the second tier, helping them win promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.

His manager at the MKM Stadium was Phil Brown, Sam Allardyce’s Bolton assistant. It was critical in bringing the attacking midfielder to East Yorkshire, although injuries prevented him from playing more than he did. However, it was a shocking decision for the Championship at the time.