Playmaker's EFL 72: #33 Josh Sheehan

Playmaker's countdown of the EFL's best performers this season continues full steam ahead and our 'Top 30' beckons. 

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!

After a 2-0 defeat of Port Vale on the penultimate day of the regular League One season, Bolton Wanderers’ end of season awards dinner concluded with their Welsh midfield magician Josh Sheehan being crowned their Player of the Year and he is next up on our list...

Number 33: Josh Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers)

The 29-year-old Sheehan, who joined from Newport County on a free transfer in the summer of 2021, came back into the Bolton fold in the second-half of last season after a serious knee injury that kept him out for over a year – just after he had started his Trotters career in such an exciting way.

Since re-establishing his fitness and form for the Whites, which really began with an excellent display at Wembley Stadium in a 4-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle in the EFL Trophy final last year, Sheehan has emerged as one of the very best footballers in the third-tier.

The Swansea City academy graduate, who has been capped five times for the Welsh national side and was expected to be a part of their UEFA EURO 2024 squad, had they not lost their play-off on penalties to Poland last month, has been the man to make the Trotters tick this season as they attempt to propel themselves into the Championship.

Ian Evatt’s style of football is known for being possession heavy with an emphasis on control. Only Peterborough United, for example, have had higher average possession than Wanderers throughout the campaign and a large part of that is down to the influence of Sheehan.

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His precision and extraordinary balance on the ball begins nearly every Bolton attack. He has completed 84.3% of his passes in League One this season, which is the most of any player in the Bolton squad and he has produced 12 assists, too, with excellent set-piece delivery. Only Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Harrison Burrows and Karamoko Dembele have provided more assists in League One. 

With the play-offs on the horizon for Bolton, Sheehan will no doubt be essential as the Trotters try to improve on their showing last season - when they lost over two legs to Barnsley at the semi-final stage. 

Playmaker's EFL 72...the countdown

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: Connor 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