Often deemed as a league where towering strikers and defenders thrived, the Championship has been infamous for being, well, too English. In its defence, a league where every team plays 46 matches, the style hardly matters.
Results are of utmost importance in the second division and quite a lot of teams have shown that in the past. More recently though, the trend is changing. Teams like Fulham under Slavisa Jokanovic have shown this season that there's no harm in trying to win with a touch of finesse on the pitch.
With the style slowly changing, there has been an influx of players who have flourished despite not boasting of a bullying physique. That being said, here are five players who are good enough and deserve a run in the Premier League.
#5 Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham)
Not often do you get to hear about a 16-year-old teenager making headlines in the second division. Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon has been quite a revelation this season and is attracting quite a lot of interest from the Premier League sides.
Quite the Speedy Gonzalez on the wide areas, Sessegnon has displayed an incredible understanding of the game which belies his age. The left-back still needs a lot to learn, but if he keeps his current levels of development, he’ll become a world-beater in the future.
Jokanovic's side are in the play-offs after playing some scintillating football in the last few months and if they can manage to clear the last couple of hurdles, Sessegnon might not have to look elsewhere to get a chance in the Premier League.
Ideal destinations: Bournemouth, Leicester City, Burnley.
#4 Charlie Taylor (Leeds United)
Leeds United have produced some bright talents of late. The duo of Sam Byram and Lewis Cook moved to the top-flight to the disappointment of the Leeds faithful, but neither has managed to feature consistently and you wonder if they should have made the move so early on in their career.
Charlie Taylor is another good prospect on Leeds' books and they have managed to keep hold of the lad, until now that. The left-back was solid in what was an uninspiring campaign under former manager Steve Evans last year. This season, under Garry Monk, he has elevated his game to greater heights.
Boasting a brilliant burst of pace and a knack for being in the right position, the left-back has combined his defensive and offensive attributes pretty well for the Whites.
Taylor's contract expires this summer and he is certainly one player who'll be an instant in the Premier League.
Ideal destinations: Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Bournemouth.
#3 Will Hughes (Derby County)
Still only 22, it seems Will Hughes has been around from quite some time. The English midfielder rose to prominence a few years ago and had the world at his feet in his teenage years.
A player who's style can be compared to Arsenal's Jack Wilshere, Hughes was touted by many to move to a bigger club in the top-flight. His calmness on the ball and ability to pick a pass from the midfield has made him one of the first names on the Derby playing XI.
We've seen quite a few examples of young players moving too early and stalling their development and luckily, Hughes doesn't fall into that category. The midfielder has stuck with Derby and has kept up his impressive development despite a long-term injury which kept him out for nearly a season.
With his prime years ahead of him, Hughes is perhaps ready to make the step up. Game time should be his prime target though and his future move should be a calculated one.
Ideal destinations: Manchester City, Stoke City, West Ham United.
#2 Helder Costa (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Signed for a pretty hefty fee of €15m from Benfica, Helder Costa has had quite an impact for Wolves and has almost single-handedly helped them finish 15th in the league table.
The winter transfer window signing has played a hand in more than half the goals Wolves managed in the second half of the season with his 10 goals and eight assists.
An agile winger on the right, Costa has quite a good left-foot and a neat set of skills to complement his pace. The Portuguese showed what he can do even against top-flight opposition when he impressed in Wolves' upset win over Liverpool in the FA Cup earlier this year.
With Wolves struggling in the Championship, you get the feeling a move to the Premier League might just be around the corner for the supremely talented winger.
Ideal destinations: Everton, Burnley, Watford.
#1 Chris Wood (Leeds United)
Just ask the Leeds United fans how important Wood was to their near play-off finish and they won't stop raving about the Kiwi. Once on the books of Leicester City, Wood had to take a step down to the second division after failing to impress in the top-flight with the Foxes.
While many will point out his current season's exploits, Wood did fairly well last season in what was an injury-hit campaign.
Manager Gary Monk has played to his striker's strengths and he hasn't let his gaffer down having managed 27 goals in the Championship.
The 25-year-old might seem like an archetypical English striker with good physique for strong hold-up and direct play, but he does have qualities other than the aforementioned.
Wood's finishing has earned him the adulation of the Leeds fans and although the Yorkshire-based outfit will do everything to keep him, expect some of the Premier League clubs to try and tempt him in the summer.
Ideal destinations: West Ham United, Burnley, Everton.
