Best defensive U23 players in Conference League

The best defensive U23 players in Conference League, ranked on Field Insider.

At a glance

A. Wharton of Crystal Palace is the standout for raw talent across U23 players in Conference League, with a Field Insider Rating of 90.4, and J. Panichelli has been the form player this season, grading 73.3, and I. Jensen leads the scoring with 5 goals.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: K. Boogaard has improved his Season rating most, up +38.4 on last season, while O. Pietuszewski's scouting Rating has risen fastest, +33.9 over the same span. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, A. Wharton of Crystal Palace is the most valuable name in this group at 171.8.

O. Pietuszewski+33.9RTG

FC Porto · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

K. Boogaard+38.4SsN

Jong AZ · 24/25→25/26

50 players · ranked by most clean sheetsCustomise →

#	Player	Team	Age	CS	Season	Rating
1	Ș. Baiaram Winger	Universitatea Craiova	23	11	28	37
2	N. Simić Centre-back	FK Partizan	19	11	35	44
3	M. Ilie Centre-back	CFR 1907 Cluj	23	9	27	35
4	M. Zanotti Defensive midfielder	FC Lugano	23	9	42	4830.4%
5	H. Falchener Centre-back	Viking	23	9	361127.6%	5135.4%
6	S. Abramowicz Goalkeeper	Jagiellonia	22	9	2426.8%	433.2%
7	J. Milne Full-back	Aberdeen	23	9	36782.9%	4922.3%
8	Y. Titraoui Defensive midfielder	Charleroi	22	9	4254.4%	6110.5%
9	M. Penders Goalkeeper	Strasbourg	20	9	26536.6%	8673.8%
10	A. Wharton Defensive midfielder	Crystal Palace	22	9	51134.9%	908.9%
11	L. Loizou Attacking midfielder	Hapoel Tel Aviv	22	8	24	4225.1%
12	P. Isenko Goalkeeper	Universitatea Craiova	22	8	26137.3%	356.5%
13	R. Amané Defensive midfielder	Rapid Vienna	23	8	4229.2%	4725.9%
14	A. Kozubal Defensive midfielder	Lech Poznan	21	8	3017.2%	437%
15	M. Gurgul Full-back	Lech Poznan	20	8	2729.4%	454.4%
16	Nathan De Cat Defensive midfielder	Anderlecht	17	8	3811.4%	6229.9%
17	W. Goes Centre-back	AZ Alkmaar	22	8	3916.3%	741.1%
18	Yeremy Pino Attacking midfielder	Crystal Palace	23	7	1070.4%	298.1%
19	G. Lazarov Centre-forward	Cherno More Varna	20	7	15	34
20	Daniel Dos Santos Winger	FC Lugano	23	7	31	46
21	H. Skogvold Centre-forward	Fredrikstad	22	7	2569.7%	454.6%
22	K. Tobiasz Goalkeeper	Legia Warszawa	23	7	21192.9%	383.5%
23	J. Ambæk Centre-forward	Brondby	18	7	25	4623.9%
24	L. Hey Centre-back	Anderlecht	23	7	26153.5%	5531.2%
25	O. Øhlenschlæger Central midfielder	Fredrikstad	22	7	54	48
26	H. Sudakov Winger	Benfica	23	6	1951.7%	6235.5%
27	O. Pietuszewski Central midfielder	FC Porto	18	6	25	6898.8%
28	N. Saliba Defensive midfielder	Anderlecht	22	6	3999%	5937%
29	R. Owusu-Oduro Goalkeeper	AZ Alkmaar	22	6	1943.6%	716.1%
30	A. Hajdari Centre-back	1899 Hoffenheim	23	6	42	81
31	D. Adu-Adjei Centre-forward	HNK Rijeka	21	6	23217.8%	3930.5%
32	Nikolaus Wurmbrand Attacking midfielder	Rapid Vienna	20	6	20	47
33	Boris Matić Defensive midfielder	Wolfsberger AC	21	6	36	45
34	I. Doukouré Centre-back	Strasbourg	22	6	3222.6%	813.4%
35	M. Kana Defensive midfielder	Anderlecht	23	6	14139%	5336.2%
36	M. Chaiwa Defensive midfielder	Hibernian	22	6	18	47
37	G. Doué Full-back	Strasbourg	23	6	4544.1%	853%
38	O. Ocheretko Defensive midfielder	Shakhtar Donetsk	23	6	171.8%	413.3%
39	J. Mulligan Central midfielder	Hibernian	23	6	308%	472.9%
40	I. Jensen Attacking midfielder	AZ Alkmaar	22	6	2335.2%	7150%
41	K. Smit Defensive midfielder	AZ Alkmaar	20	6	42336.1%	7919.6%
42	C. Ndour Central midfielder	Fiorentina	21	6	29239.3%	7863.5%
43	W. Mońka Centre-back	Lech Poznan	19	6	21165%	406.9%
44	S. Andersen Central midfielder	BK Hacken	22	6	4995.6%	3825.2%
45	E. Austbö Attacking midfielder	Viking	21	6	37260.8%	5015.8%
46	J. Enciso Centre-forward	Strasbourg	22	6	39381.5%	836%
47	Diego Moreira Attacking midfielder	Strasbourg	21	6	4227.9%	871.9%
48	S. El Mourabet Defensive midfielder	Strasbourg	20	6	44	80
49	J. Panichelli Centre-forward	Strasbourg	23	6	7319.6%	878.9%
50	V. Barco Defensive midfielder	Strasbourg	21	6	50132.4%	8612.8%