Playmaker's EFL 72: #36 Illan Meslier

Playmaker's countdown of the EFL's best players this season marches resolutely on as we enter the thirties where things really begin hotting up.

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!

At number 36 we have a goalkeeper who is looking to quickly get his side back to the Premier League...

Number 36: Illan Meslier (Leeds United)

Goalkeeper Illan Meslier had offers to leave Leeds United last summer as the club was relegated from the Premier League.

But ultimately the former France U21 international decided to stay with Leeds, saying of the summer's transfer saga: "It's just like, let's see you do one season, try everything to be promoted, and after you never know what can happen. I want to do everything I can to help Leeds to [get promoted] again because our place is in the Premier League.”

So far, it looks like a gamble that is paying off for Meslier and Leeds United. The Whites are currently second in the Premier League, just one point behind leaders Leicester City.

Daniel Farke's team have the best defence in the Championship this season having conceded just 37 goals in 44 games so far this season. 

That means defence and Meslier's unquestioned shot-stopping talents mean that the 24-year-old has more clean sheets than any goalkeeper in the Championship this season with 18. Those 18 clean sheets translate to an impressive clean sheet percentage of 43.9%.

This save by Ilan Meslier is absolutely ridiculous.
pic.twitter.com/rrYFzF0gcI

— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) December 12, 2023

Meslier also has the highest save percentage in the second tier so far. Despite having only had to make 78 saves in the league this campaign (compare that to Rotherham United's Viktor Johansson who has needed to make 177 saves), the Leeds man has always been ready to step in for his team.

If there is one criticism for Meslier this season it comes the occssional eccentric mistake like the red card against Preston North End on Boxing Day. That proved to be a costly decision with the Whites losing that game 2-1 but it takes nothing away from Meslier's overall stellar campaign even if the goalkeeper is not quite the finished product.

So while the Frenchman decided to stick around this season in hopes of helping Leeds return to the Premier League, if they do miss out we imagine Meslier will be plying his trade at the highest level once again.

Playmaker's EFL 72...the countdown

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