Best defensive players in Championship

The best defensive players in Championship, ranked on Field Insider.

At a glance

H. Hackney of Middlesbrough is the standout for raw talent across players in Championship, with a Field Insider Rating of 79, and O. McBurnie has been the form player this season, grading 62.8, and Z. Vipotnik leads the scoring with 23 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: S. Silvera has improved his Season rating most, up +47.6 on last season, while R. Vítek's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +43.3 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, H. Hackney of Middlesbrough is the most valuable name in this group at 101.1.

Bristol City · 23/24→25/26

Most improved

S. Silvera+47.6SsN

Middlesbrough · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by most clean sheetsCustomise →

#	Player	Team	Age	CS	Season	Rating
1	T. Crama Centre-back	Millwall	24	19	62192%	7769.8%
2	J. Cooper Centre-back	Millwall	31	19	5345.6%	429.4%
3	C. Rushworth Goalkeeper	Coventry	25	17	44	7544.3%
4	M. Grimes Defensive midfielder	Coventry	31	17	383.5%	4215.6%
5	D. O'Shea Centre-back	Ipswich	27	17	4776.1%	6321.1%
6	A. Matusiwa Defensive midfielder	Ipswich	28	16	478.8%	5716.9%
7	M. van Ewijk Full-back	Coventry	25	16	5935.6%	771.7%
8	C. Neghli Attacking midfielder	Millwall	24	15	277.3%	739.7%
9	D. Furlong Full-back	Ipswich	30	15	4620.4%	4615.5%
10	J. Dasilva Full-back	Coventry	28	15	53122.1%	571.7%
11	I. Pandur Goalkeeper	Hull City	26	14	28216.9%	681.2%
12	S. Brynn Goalkeeper	Middlesbrough	25	14	27376.8%	7327.7%
13	L. Kitching Centre-back	Coventry	26	14	4573.7%	660.6%
14	C. Walton Goalkeeper	Ipswich	30	14	42	446%
15	O. Azeez Attacking midfielder	Millwall	25	13	48164.1%	7514.6%
16	M. Ivanović Centre-forward	Millwall	21	13	33±0%	763.7%
17	L. Davis Full-back	Ipswich	26	13	40161.4%	6814.9%
18	J. Egan Centre-back	Hull City	33	12	41989.5%	2919.1%
19	C. Brittain Defensive midfielder	Middlesbrough	28	12	3813.4%	587.8%
20	L. Ayling Full-back	Middlesbrough	34	12	4671.1%	285.7%
21	T. Conway Attacking midfielder	Middlesbrough	23	12	4621.4%	7910.8%
22	M. Targett Defensive midfielder	Middlesbrough	30	12	4622850%	452.6%
23	A. Mehmeti Attacking midfielder	Bristol City	25	12	4324.9%	720.6%
24	A. Randell Defensive midfielder	Bristol City	25	12	426.1%	695.1%
25	R. Vítek Goalkeeper	Bristol City	22	12	28389.7%	75137.9%
26	B. Cabango Centre-back	Swansea	26	12	4212.6%	668.3%
27	J. Tymon Full-back	Swansea	27	12	3511.6%	6412.6%
28	C. Burgess Centre-back	Swansea	30	12	39346.6%	4516.9%
29	L. Vigouroux Goalkeeper	Swansea	32	12	2422.2%	3620.4%
30	M. Clarke Centre-back	Derby	29	12	4753.6%	513%
31	S. Thomas Attacking midfielder	Stoke City	27	12	48127.2%	636.5%
32	I. Price Central midfielder	West Brom	22	12	45183.8%	7230.7%
33	N. Phillips Centre-back	West Brom	29	12	4591%	4513%
34	C. Styles Full-back	West Brom	26	12	4735.5%	617.1%
35	L. Jones Centre-back	Charlton	30	12	4521.1%	4314.8%
36	B. Thomas Centre-back	Coventry	25	12	4213.6%	715.2%
37	E. Mason-Clark Attacking midfielder	Coventry	26	12	4061.8%	693.3%
38	A. Heggebø Centre-forward	West Brom	24	11	361.1%	6951.8%
39	H. Wright Centre-forward	Coventry	28	11	4848.8%	5510.5%
40	S. Silvera Central midfielder	Middlesbrough	25	11	521057.8%	7780.2%
41	R. Slater Defensive midfielder	Hull City	26	11	4078.6%	651.9%
42	C. Hughes Full-back	Hull City	22	11	44150.6%	7312.8%
43	A. Morris Defensive midfielder	Middlesbrough	24	11	3817.4%	712.4%
44	Zak Norton Sturge Full-back	Millwall	22	11	36855.3%	7016.9%
45	L. Coyle Full-back	Hull City	30	11	3519.3%	4316.1%
46	H. Hackney Central midfielder	Middlesbrough	24	11	526.3%	793.8%
47	T. Harwood-Bellis Centre-back	Southampton	24	11	3360.3%	768.6%
48	D. Hyam Full-back	Wrexham	30	11	3416.5%	4520.3%
49	S. Twine Attacking midfielder	Bristol City	27	11	4468.3%	619.3%
50	A. Phillips Centre-back	Stoke City	21	11	344.2%	711.6%