Best defensive U21 players in EFL Cup

The best defensive U21 players in EFL Cup, ranked on Field Insider.

At a glance

N. O'Reilly of Manchester City is the standout for raw talent across U21 players in EFL Cup, with a Field Insider Rating of 96.7, and Ben Brannan leads the scoring with 3 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: N. O'Reilly has improved his Season rating most, up +45.8 on last season, while E. Diouf's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +48.8 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, N. O'Reilly of Manchester City is the most valuable name in this group at 174.1.

West Ham · 23/24→25/26

Most improved

N. O'Reilly+45.8SsN

Manchester City · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by most clean sheetsCustomise →

#	Player	Team	Age	CS	Season	Rating
1	Tom Iorpenda Central midfielder	Notts County	21	14	399625%	384.5%
2	M. Ivanović Centre-forward	Millwall	21	13	33±0%	763.7%
3	N. O'Reilly Full-back	Manchester City	21	12	56432.1%	9717.9%
4	A. Phillips Centre-back	Stoke City	21	11	344.2%	711.6%
5	D. Lawlor Centre-back	Cardiff	20	10	292300%	507.6%
6	A. Mayor Defensive midfielder	Cambridge United	21	10	19	3515%
7	B. Clark Central midfielder	Derby	21	9	392869.2%	724.1%
8	A. Cozier-Duberry Attacking midfielder	Bolton	21	9	36445.5%	5416.8%
9	D. Kanu Centre-forward	Walsall	21	9	361037.5%	3716.9%
10	S. Gale Centre-back	Gillingham	21	9	2827400%	3510.2%
11	O. Kellyman Centre-forward	Cardiff	20	9	299600%	5230.2%
12	F. Draper Centre-forward	Lincoln	21	9	23101.8%	5110.9%
13	Cian Ashford Central midfielder	Cardiff	21	9	2222.7%	5220%
14	J. Colwill Defensive midfielder	Cardiff	21	8	2644.5%	5047.9%
15	R. Kpakio Full-back	Cardiff	19	8	242109.1%	5112.2%
16	M. Moore Attacking midfielder	Rangers	18	8	29717.1%	5524.8%
17	Sydie Peck Central midfielder	Sheffield Utd	21	8	5183.6%	785.2%
18	Y. Minteh Attacking midfielder	Brighton	21	7	2719.3%	943.7%
19	J. Meghoma Full-back	Rangers	20	7	24209.1%	5215.8%
20	L. Woodhouse Central midfielder	Exeter City	21	7	22	44
21	Daniel Gore Defensive midfielder	Rotherham	21	7	261361.1%	4610%
22	Jamie Mullins Attacking midfielder	Wycombe	21	7	17	49
23	G. Kodua Winger	Luton	21	7	25437%	4910.5%
24	A. Devine Central midfielder	Preston	21	7	4653%	7629.3%
25	S. Curtis Full-back	Chesterfield	20	6	18142.5%	3321.3%
26	E. Wheatley Centre-forward	Northampton	20	6	17	4760.3%
27	T. Hall Attacking midfielder	Notts County	20	6	16	34
28	E. Diouf Full-back	West Ham	21	6	34146.3%	93110.2%
29	Joel McGregor Defensive midfielder	Swindon Town	20	6	1958.2%	334.2%
30	Calum Agius Attacking midfielder	Crewe	20	6	202800%	3619.8%
31	Joshua Feeney Centre-back	Huddersfield	21	6	192.1%	462.3%
32	B. Khela Defensive midfielder	Peterborough	21	6	28171.8%	5052%
33	W. Lankshear Centre-forward	Oxford United	21	6	37	6917.2%
34	D. Ozoh Defensive midfielder	Derby	21	6	30156.8%	6912.7%
35	Joshua Alan Powell Attacking midfielder	Fleetwood Town	21	5	6	34
36	D. Mazou-Sacko Central midfielder	Millwall	21	5	1960.2%	6619.4%
37	J. Canvot Central midfielder	Crystal Palace	19	5	951.8%	297.7%
38	N. Lowe Centre-forward	Stockport County	20	5	1843.1%	4932.6%
39	M. Tait Defensive midfielder	Livingston	20	5	29455.8%	5012.9%
40	Ruairi McConville Centre-back	Norwich	21	5	201052.9%	6819.2%
41	O. Schwartau Attacking midfielder	Norwich	20	5	23338.5%	7211.8%
42	L. Hall Full-back	Newcastle	21	5	3320.2%	877.6%
43	J. Hinshelwood Attacking midfielder	Brighton	21	5	329.3%	944.7%
44	T. McDermott Central midfielder	Shrewsbury	21	5	14	3022.6%
45	O. Lunt Central midfielder	Crewe	21	5	23922.7%	3417.8%
46	R. Walters Defensive midfielder	Port Vale	20	5	14	439.9%
47	K. Doyle Central midfielder	Reading	20	5	318.5%	524.2%
48	James Dornelly Full-back	Peterborough	21	5	16127.9%	452.7%
49	N. Asiimwe Full-back	AFC Wimbledon	21	5	20201.5%	4646.3%
50	Tyler Bindon Centre-back	Sheffield Utd	21	5	2327.1%	6633.1%