Playmaker's EFL 72: #31 Stephy Mavididi

Playmaker's countdown of the EFL's star men this season is picking up the pace and we're on the verge of our 'Top 30'.  

It's certainly been no easy task, but - just to clarify - our '72' is less a roll call of the best footballers in the EFL and more a tribute to those players who have enjoyed the most memorable seasons while racking up the most impressive stats.

Whatever the criteria, we're confident in our selections of the most outstanding players through the Championship, League One, and League Two and welcome any debate on the subject!

Our next entrant is a mercurial winger, who could be absolutely sensational if he manages to add a touch more consistency to his game. 

Number 31: Stephy Mavididi (Leicester City)

Signing Stephy Mavididi from Montpellier last summer was something of a coup for Leicester given that the former Arsenal and Juventus academy star was playing for a mid-table Ligue 1 club prior to joining the Championship-bound Foxes. 

However, the 2015/16 Premier League champions always had the air of a team intent on bouncing straight back into the English top flight, and Mavididi's outstanding performances have been central to an automatic promotion push that is almost over the line. 

A 100-point season is still attainable for Enzo Maresca's side ahead of their final two games, away at Preston and home to Blackburn, and a thumping 5-0 win over Southampton last time out suggests the Foxes have the bit between their teeth. 

The 25-year-old Mavididi has been an integral part of Leicester's storming season and his numbers underline the extent of his influence. 

Ranking 10th in the Championship for successful dribbles (67) and 9th for key passes (72), Mavididi provides penetration and quality from wide areas, with our number 60 Fatawu Issahaku terrorising defenders on the opposite flank. 

End product has certainly not be lacking either and 12 Championship goals represents a very solid return from Mavididi, who has laid on a further six assists. 

A closer look at the former Gunner's stats reveals that he has not shirked his defensive responsibilities either: only James Justin (71) and Ricardo Pereira (100) making more tackles for Leicester than Mavididi (70) in league play this term. 

The ex-England youth international is a top talent, and his fantastic goal in the last eight of the FA Cup against Chelsea illustrates that Mavididi will cause trouble in the top flight if, as looks very likely, Leicester return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.  

Are there areas to work on? Mavididi's manager Maresca believes so...

“He loves and we love (when he steps up to the plate)...I've said many times, since we start, that Stephy has to be consistent. He can become even more important for us.”

Playmaker's EFL 72...the countdown

32: Marc Leonard 33. Josh Sheehan

34: Matt Smith 35: Kwame Poku 36: Illan Meslier 37: Aden Flint

38: Ronnie Edwards 39: Josh Sargent 40: Alex Gilbey 41: Ben Sheaf

42: Jobe Bellingham 43: Devante Cole 44: Jacob Greaves 45: Paddy Lane

46: Herbie Kane 47: Dan James 48: Archie Collins 49: Karamoko Dembele

50: Haji Wright 51: Dan Crowley 52: Cameron Brannagan 53: Aaron Collins

54: Andy Cook 55: Conor Shaughnessy 56: Jannik Vestergaard

57: Willy Gnonto 58: Ellis Simms 59: Charlie Hughes 60: Fatawu Isshaku

61: Sam Hoskins 62: Paul Mullin 63: Chris Martin 64: Omari Hutchinson

65: Isaac Hutchinson 66: Sam Tickle 67: Ben Hinchcliffe 68: Michał Helik

69: Lewis Wing 70: Rob Apter 71: Kyle Walker-Peters 72: Alex Palmer