Top 5 most creative players in the Championship

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Aston Villa, Fulham, Cardiff, Leeds and Preston stars are the five most creative players after 10 games in the Championship.

Tom Cairney in action for Fulham against Leeds

Ten games into the Championship season, we have recently looked at the best tacklers in the league and the sharpest shooters, but today we focus on the most creative players in England’s second tier.

Somewhat surprisingly, of the five players who rank as the most creative in division, none play for a team currently in the top six, with Fulham the best placed of the lot, currently 11th in the Championship.

Of the top five, four are over the age of 30, and that trend continues when you look further down the list, with seven of the top ten also being aged 30+.

Aston Villa’s Ross McCormack was the most creative player in the Championship last season

Ross McCormack was the most creative player in the division last season with Fulham, but he has received some criticism for his displays in the claret and blue of Aston Villa since making a big money move in the summer.

Despite that, McCormack’s stats tell a different story, as he once again leads the division in terms of key passes per game, with an average of 3.9.

Fulham’s Tom Cairney is second, with 3.4 per game, and the left-footed central midfielder also leads the league in terms of passing accuracy, completing 92% of all attempted passes.

Leeds United’s Pablo Hernandez

Cardiff City may be having a poor start to the season, but Peter Whittingham is once again one of the most creative players in the Championship. He ranks fourth in the league with 3.2 key passes per game.

Next up is another seasoned pro, Preston North End’s Paul Gallagher. The former Leicester stalwart has been very impressive since joining Preston in 2015, and the stats reflect his enormous impact on that team.

The full list of the top 5 most creative players in the Championship is below, it is ordered in terms of the most key passes made per game, and only includes players who have played more than the average number of Championship games so far this season:

Preston’s Paul Gallagher

1. Ross McCormack (Aston Villa): 3.9

2. Tom Cairney (Fulham): 3.4

3. Peter Whittingham (Cardiff City): 3.2

4. Pablo Hernandez (Leeds United): 3

5. Paul Gallagher (Preston North End): 3

Norwich City midfielder Wes Hoolahan in action for Ireland

Those who just missed out include Gary O’Neil at Bristol City, Craig Conway of Blackburn, Barnsley star Conor Hourihane, Norwich midfielder Wes Hoolahan and QPR’s Tjaronn Cherry.

Who do you think is the most creative player in the Championship?