5 players from promoted Championship sides who can light up the EPL

3) George Friend (Middlesbrough)

Friend will have to keep things tight at the back for his club

George Friend is a man on a mission in a team hungry to make their long-awaited return to the top flight count.

Having spent seven years in the doldrums away from the Premier League, Middlesbrough are back where their fans feel they truly belong and they are sure to do everything they can to stay there for the foreseeable future. It won’t be an easy task but with George Friend on board Boro will feel confident they can steer clear of any choppy waters.

Friend himself already boasts some minimal EPL experience as he has one match to his name from his days at Wolverhampton Wanderers, and although that won’t strike fear into the hearts of his opponents, his proficient displays as a left-back in one of the most notoriously difficult leagues around should.

A good defender who holds his own well in the tackle as well as being able to get up and down the flanks in a nimble manner, he doesn’t catch the eye with pirouettes and flourishes but he is the sort of solid, intelligent all-rounder a club like Middlesbrough need and he should provide them with the necessary level-headed assurance they will crave when the season gets a little hectic.