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Being the Lower Division of English topflight football, many expect that the English Football League (EFL) will primarily feature local players. While this is true to some extent, some foreign players play in the league and who have left a mark on it. Some have even gone ahead to become top scorers. In this post, we look at foreign players that have been EFL Golden Boot winners.

1. Teemu Pukki

Now playing for Norwich in the Premier League, Teemu Pukki was the EFL Golden Boot winner for the 2018/2019 season. This win came after he scored 29 goals in a single season to help his team win promotion to the Premier League. The figure made Pukki appear second on the list of players with the most goals in a single EFL season.

2. Matej Vydra

The Czech striker is a household name among EFL fans. Matej used to play for Derby County and, in the 2017-2018 season, finished the EFL league as its Golden Boot winner. This win did not comes as a shock to many as the striker had been prolific the entire season.

Additionally, his team Derby County were playing beautiful football that was crowned with Matej’s Golden Boot win. Matej now plays for Burnley FC in the Premier League. Matej scored 21 goals in the 2017/2018 season.

3. Ross McCormack

Ross McCormack holds the record as the third player with the most goals in a single EFL season. While playing for Leeds United in the 2013-14 season, Ross scored an impressive 28 goals that season to win him the Golden Boot. This win made him one among the few non-English players to win the EFL Golden Boot. Many who recall his revelation season continue to hail the Scot for that time when he wowed the EFL with his goal-scoring prowess.

Football is full of surprises. These surprises are not a reserve of the top leagues. The English Football League (EFL) has its own fair share of surprises that, at times, blow people’s minds away. Some of these shockers come in the form of teams that end up winning promotion to the EPL from the EFL. In this post, we look at the story of one such surprise.

Where It All Started

When Aston Villa signed John Terry from Chelsea in the summer of 2017, everyone expected that the club would go one to gain promotion. With John Terry’s league winning status, it was hoped, would help boost the morale of the players.

This morale was there, and a finish in the playoff spots was somewhat a positive result for the team. However, the joy would soon fade quickly when Fulham dented their hopes of promotion. In the EFL Championship final of that year, Fulham beat Aston Villa 1 – 0 to secure promotion.

What followed was a summer of overhaul. It all started with firing the then manager Steve Bruce. A direction that saw many people receive mixed reactions. But the board affirmed that it needed a more progressive manager. The club also sold a ton of its players.

The Shocker That Was 2018/2019 Playoff Final

Aston Villa’s overhaul of the squad received extensive criticism, and at the start of the 2017/2018 season, many bookmakers had no hope of the team winning anything. However, the club would prove its critics wrong and beat Derby County FC 2 – 1 in that season’s playoff final.

From a team that bookmakers even thought of fronting as most likely to get relegated to a playoff finale winner, no one saw that coming. Aston Villa were surprise winners of the playoff final and earned the third and final promotion slot.

Since its inaugural 2004/05 season, the English Football League (EFL) has seen a glut of goals. Some of the goals scored during this tenure will not be forgotten any time soon, as are the records as well. In this post, we look at some of the best goal-scoring records in a single EFL season since its rebirth.

1. Glen Murray – 30 Goals

Perhaps the most prolific single-season scorer in the EFL since its name change. Glen Murray shocked English football fans in the 2012/2013 season when he bagged 30 goals in a single EFL season. His goals were vital in ensuring the promotion of Crystal Palace to the English Premier League that season.

2. Teemu Pukki – 29 Goals

Teemu Pukki happens to be one of the most underrated players in English football. After failed stints with several teams across Europe, the player shushed all his critics in the 2018/19 season. Playing for Norwich, Teemu bagged an impressive 29 goals that season as Norwich cruised to promotion. Teemu Pukki, a beneficiary of Daniel Farke’s high pressing game, impressed his coach, teammates, and fans that season. While he failed to follow that impressive show this season, he continues to be vital to the team.

3. Ross McCormack -28 Goals

Ross must have had the worst season to remember despite him scoring this many goals in the 2013/14 season. That particular season his team, Leeds FC, finished 15th in the EFL missing out on promotion by a huge margin. Ross, however, ensured that English football would continue singing his name because of his scoring record.

4. Jordan Rhodes – 28 Goals

Tying with Ross, Jordan Rhodes also scored an impressive 28 goals in the EFL in the 2012/13 season. Playing for Huddersfield, Rhodes’ team would, however, miss promotion despite having the Golden Boot runner’s up in their team.