There are various top-tier full-backs in the Championship currently playing for clubs across the division.
It’s generally the position that receives the least attention, but these players are frequently requested by managers these days, with the need for a solid full-back to be able to go up and down the channels throughout 90 minutes and make an effect in both attack and defense.
It is quite difficult to narrow this down to only nine players, but Football League World has attempted to do so.
Here are the top nine fullbacks currently playing in the second tier.
9 Ross McCrorie
Ross McCrorie established himself as a viable full-back option for Bristol City under Liam Manning last season, and he finished the season on a high note, scoring four goals in his final seven games on his way to a top-six finish.
This season, as one of the few Robins players to avoid a long-term injury, he’s demonstrated that he can give much more than goals from a wing-back position, and he’s improved his whole game.
The Scotsman has continued to provide goals and assists, but his defensive performances under Gerhard Struber have improved, with him standing near the top of the duals won ranks in his position and in the top 20% in other defensive stats, according to Fotmob.
He may prop up this list, but simply being recognized on it is a triumph in itself.
8Josh Tymon
With over 225 Championship games, Josh Tymon has always been seen as a reliable option, but since moving from Stoke City to Swansea City, he has established himself as one of the best chance makers from left-back.
He’s in the top ten for huge chances created in the entire Championship this season, fighting with Leo Scienza, Gustavo Hamer, and some of the division’s other elite playmakers, and he’s having his finest season in terms of assists yet.
Defensively, he may not be on the same level as some of the others higher on the list, but he holds his own and is deserving of inclusion solely for his offensive contributions.
Swansea’s ascent up the table under Vitor Matos has gone relatively unnoticed since the Portuguese manager was hired in November, and Tymon has also slipped under the radar in discussions about who the finest full-back in the league is.
7 Jeremy Ngakia
This season has certainly been the greatest of Jeremy Ngakia’s career, and the 25-year-old has demonstrated that if he can avoid injuries for a sustained length of time, he can be one of the division’s best full-backs.
The former West Ham academy graduate was a key component of Watford’s excellent defensive performances during a run of 10 wins in 19 games, which propelled the club into the top six at the turn of the year, maintaining clean sheets against Middlesbrough and Norwich City.
Ngakia leads the Championship in tackling and duel numbers for right-backs, and he has also contributed a number of goals this season.
With Ed Still at the helm, Watford still has a slim chance of regaining their place in the top six, and the 25-year-old’s comeback from a hamstring injury to provide that extra grit and determination couldn’t come sooner.
6 Femi Seriki
Femi Seriki had to wait a while for his breakthrough year at Sheffield United, but after making an impact last season, he’s cemented himself in Chris Wilder’s side from the start this year.
This season, the 23-year-old has made a significant contribution to the Blades’ progress. He isn’t hesitant to take people on and move ahead, and once he gets going, it’s difficult for opposing defenses to get the ball away without fouling.
What’s even more exciting for Sheffield United fans is that there’s plenty of opportunity for improvement, and if Seriki keeps up his current form, he may easily make the step to the Premier League sooner rather than later.
They’ll hope it’s with them, and if the Blades do get back to the top flight soon, Seriki will play a key role in making it happen.
5 Leif Davis
While Leif Davis, or Ipswich Town, for that matter, has not performed to the level that Championship fans expected of them entering this season, after the benchmark they set for themselves two years ago, this does not imply that the 26-year-old has been below par.
The left-back is one of the most creative players in his position in the second tier, and his projected assist numbers indicate that he should have far more than he presently has. Maybe not as many as 21, but replicating the 2023/24 campaign would have been quite the feat.
Davis’ strengths rest in his ability to play further forward, and while more well-rounded full-backs may score higher as a result, a top-five ranking is still extremely good for the Ipswich left back.
4Ryan Manning
Ryan Manning joined Southampton two years ago as one of the division’s most sought-after free signings, following a breakout year with Swansea.
It took him a while to show that at St Mary’s, but this season, the Irishman has been one of the standout players in the Saints’ ascent from relegation under Will Still to a top-two contender under Tonda Eckert.
Manning is currently having the finest scoring season of his career, and, like Davis, his predicted assist figures indicate that his goal contribution stats could be significantly higher as well.
Manning is obviously worthy of a spot in the top four on this list, having created numerous chances and executing numerous dangerous balls into the box, as well as being a more than reliable defender.
3Tristan Crama
Last January, Tristan Crama joined Millwall as a centre-back. However, with Jake Cooper and Japhet Tanganga in the squad, and Caleb Taylor coming when Tanganga left in the summer, the Frenchman has been deployed at right-back.
At six-foot-four, it should not be possible, yet Crama has easily been one of the top three players at his position this season.
Because of his defensive prowess, he ranks first in various defensive stats, both in the air and on the ground. Because of his height, he poses a threat from corners and balls into the box, and he also contributes to the creation of opportunities.
The 24-year-old is clearly capable of succeeding in the Premier League, and if Millwall manages to defy the odds and finish in the top two, Crama will have a significant impact in making that happen.
2 Callum Brittain
Callum Brittain has been a top-10 full-back in the Championship since breaking through, and he was part of Barnsley’s 2021 play-off team.
Brittain’s performances have improved as he approaches what many consider to be a player’s prime age, and he is currently playing for the best team he has ever played for. The 28-year-old is on the verge of becoming a Premier League player.
And you can’t deny that if Middlesbrough make the step up, Brittain will lose his place on the right side of Kim Hellberg’s defence, as the former Blackburn Rovers player is one of the best in the division at getting forward and testing opposition backlines with dribbles or crosses into the box.
On defense, he recovers as effectively as most, and he isn’t afraid to make a tackle.
Brittain is undoubtedly one of the division’s top full-backs, but one man is playing for possibly the only team that has outperformed Middlesbrough this season, and he beats him to the post.
1 Milan van Ewijk
Milan van Ewijk of Coventry City deserves to be at the top of our list; he is so talented that many people didn’t expect him to continue playing in the Championship during the summer.
The Sky Blues were on the verge of signing the 25-year-old from Bundesliga club Wolfsburg for £10 million in the summer, but talks fell through, which Frank Lampard must be relieved about, since van Ewijk has been a fixture in the side as they close in on the Championship championship.
van Ewijk is consistently in the top 10% of right-backs in defensive stats, according to Fotmob, and has contributed to an at times unstoppable offense at the CBS Arena, picking up many assists this season.
In a few months, Frank Lampard should be considering what areas he might need to improve ahead of a return to the Premier League, but the Dutchman will obviously not be on his list, as he has top-flight quality in abundance, making him the greatest full-back in the Championship right now.
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