5 of the most exciting young players in the Championship

The Championship, and not the Premier League, has become an outstanding place for young players to develop over the past few years. With more minutes on offer and football at a higher level than ever before, it's a good time to be a youngster in England's second tier. Here are some of the best players currently performing well in the Championship.

#5 Ryan Sessegnon

Without a doubt, Ryan Sessegnon is one of England’s finest young talents. With huge potential, the Fulham fullback is tipped to make the Premier League. In fact, already at 17-years-old, he’s been labelled the next Ashley Cole. The former Arsenal and Chelsea full-back was once at a world-class level and it’s high praise indeed for Sessegnon to be mentioned in the same breath.

Spurs, Manchester City and Chelsea have been linked with the player, while Jose Mourinho is now also a reported admirer. His teammates at Fulham rate him pretty highly as well, with Stefan Johansen saying, “It's 99 per-cent sure he will be one of the top left-backs in the world.”

Being a wide player, Sessegnon is extremely quick and is excellent when running with the ball at his feet. His crossing and link-up play is strong too. Given his young age, there are still plenty of areas to improve on. He'll need to work on his physical attributes as he seems like a player who can be easily knocked off the ball

Sessegnon can play at both full-back and as a winger, and he’s shown he’s capable in the attack by a number of goals he’s mustered. Indeed, the Wandsworth-born player scored his first professional goal in a league match against Cardiff in August 2016, becoming the first professional footballer in the English leagues to have been born in the 2000s to score a goal in a first-team game and the youngest player ever to have scored in a Championship match.

#4 Ruben Neves

Wolverhampton Wanderers shocked the football world when they signed up Ruben Neves from Porto. The midfield talent is part of the Portuguese revolution underway at the West Midlands club as they make an assault on the Premier League.

Neves had shown flashes of his brilliance at Porto before the move to Wolves, despite being just 20-years-old. The deal worth £15 million could well prove to be a bargain should Neves fulfil his incredible potential.

There are shades of Xabi Alonso in his game, as Neves sits in front of the defence and shows a fine level of responsibility when in a game. He dictates the game from the off and controls proceedings, attempting to move his team up the field.

It had been tough at Porto for the player and despite some impressive performances for the Portugal U21 side, his future at the club was never really clear. Wolves took advantage of that and the gifted player could well be the most talented midfielder in the Championship.

#3 Sergi Canos

With a penchant for the spectacular, Sergi Canos might well be the silkiest player on the ball in the Championship right now. After being unable to push through at Liverpool, Canos moved on to Norwich before ending up at Brentford where he has settled immensely. Despite being just 20-years-old, he’s a fan-favourite and regular fixture in the first team for the Bees.

Canos is a versatile presence too as he can operate behind a striker, in attacking midfield as a classic 10 and in the wide areas. As you’d expect from a modern Spanish midfielder, Canos is calm and classy in possession. It allows Brentford to take control in games and operate on the front foot against opponents.

The 20-year-old is also extremely quick too and his nifty footwork allows him to get out of tight situations. Driving off the wing, he’s a real danger, and with the license to cut inside can unleash a superb shot or slip in a teammate with a smart pass.

#2 David Brooks

After initially loaning him out for the season, Sheffield United soon backtracked as they became more aware of the talent they had on their hands in David Brooks. After being named the player of the competition at the 2017 Toulon Tournament, the Blades changed their agreement with Chesterfield.

It was a smart decision too, as the player had become the subject of interest from several Premier League sides including Everton.

Brooks is a quite a talent and is noted for his incredible ability and confidence on the ball. The 20-year-old is adept at collecting the ball in front of his defence and driving at opponents, dribbling and linking the midfield and attack together. Brooks’ tall frame makes him even more of a handful and difficult to knock off the ball.

There’s also a lot of flair to his style, with the Warrington-born player highly skilful and capable of humiliating his marker. Those performances at the Toulon excited everyone at Sheffield United and it’s expected there will be more first team minutes coming his way very soon.

#1 Diogo Jota

Another Wolves player, and another member of the Portuguese revolution at the club. Jota arrived in the West Midlands from Atletico Madrid on loan after a stunning season out on loan with Porto. Owned by Atletico Madrid, big things are expected of the attacking midfielder with an incredible habit of leaving players in his wake with his skill.

Jota is a versatile player who can play anywhere in the attack. He has featured behind the striker but operates best when used in an attacking midfield role and not as a withdrawn striker. Often given a free role due to his ability and vision of the game, Jota has high levels of creativity and plenty of skills in his locker.

He can also score as well as create, and while at Porto last season, he managed eight goals to go with his five assists in the Portuguese top flight.

A move back to Atletico Madrid -- where they severely need some ingenuity and creative spark -- is expected, but in the meantime, Jota is looking to make the most of his opportunity in England.

Edited by Amit Mishra