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Footballers You Didn’t Know Were Made In The EFL
Let’s take a look at some players who are currently performing at the highest of levels which you may not have known were made in the EFL!
The EFL is the backbone of the English football pyramid, providing three leagues including the Championship, League 1 and League 2. These are some of the most competitive leagues in the world, where clubs battle it out to survive or be promoted by the end of the season. This makes for an incredible viewing experience and some dramatic twists and turns like no other.
While it is a great set of leagues that can shape value betting strategies, they are some of the most entertaining leagues in the world, and have even created some of the biggest names in football. So let’s take a look at some players who are currently performing at the highest of levels which you may not have known were made in the EFL!
David Raya
The Spanish goalkeeper is a massive figure in Arsenal’s recent push to win a trophy, falling close to taking some silverware on numerous occasions in the last five years. The addition of David Raya to the squad has definitely been beneficial, solidifying Arsenal’s defence and overall dressing room core. After joining the Gunners on loan from Brentford, pushing out their number one at the time, Aaron Ramsdale, Raya has experienced appreciation from football fans around the world for his incredible shot-stopping ability and rapid reactions. But did you know he learned his trade in the English Football League?
In 2012, Raya moved to England to begin his professional football career, working his way up at Championship club Blackburn Rovers. Blackburn trained the young Spaniard up and gave him an opportunity in the professional game in 2014. He was sent out on loan for a season to join Southport, where he would get his first taste at a professional level. He would return to Blackburn in 2015 and play 98 games, joining Brentford in 2019. He would eventually get promoted to the Premier League with Brentford in 2021, achieving the dream he had during his EFL playing days.
Andrew Robertson
Two Premier League trophies, an FA Cup, two League Cups, a Community Shield, a Champions League, a Super Cup and a Club World Cup are all the trophies that Liverpool’s Scottish left back has won during his time in Merseyside. Before achieving the second-highest assist tally from a defender in Premier League history, Robertson battled it out in relegation scraps and even a play-off scare for promotion to even earn the right to play in the top flight. Roberson signed for Liverpool in 2017, and had already played a couple of Premier League seasons, being relegated in both.
The Scotsman managed to stand out, however, especially in the Championship or promotion battle in the 2015/16 season, drawing interest from the big clubs. Despite being a player who was constantly fighting to play top-flight football and experiencing the dramatic nature of the EFL, he managed to cement his name in the history of Scottish football and the history of Liverpool FC.
Harry Kane
One of the greatest strikers in recent history, England captain Harry Kane, can perhaps be titled one of the most unfortunate players in football. Despite only winning one career trophy at the age of 31 with Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga win in the 2024/25 season, he has broken countless records and even become the second highest goal scorer in Premier League history. Before he went on to make over 300 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur, Kane learned his trade in the lower leagues with the likes of Millwall, Leyton Orient and Leicester City.
These loan spells in the Championship and League One helped to give Kane an idea of the level of professional football, and gave Spurs a reason to keep the English forward in their future plans. While building a reputation in the EFL, upon return to Tottenham, Kane was awarded more game time and became one of the greatest strikers in the modern game.
Jordan Pickford
England and Everton’s number 1, Jordan Pickford, has had an outstanding legacy in the Premier League, becoming one of Everton’s all-time greats and a big figure in terms of top-quality Premier League goalkeepers. The Tyne and Wear-born shot stopper began his desire to be a professional footballer at the age of 8 when he signed for local club Sunderland. From 2012 up until 2016, Pickford was on loan with spells in four different divisions, three of which were in the EFL, for the likes of Darlington, Alfreton Town, Burton Albion, Carlisle United, Bradford City, and Preston North End.
During his time in the lower leagues, he made over 100 appearances, giving him solid professional football experience. Upon his return to Sunderland in the 2016/17 season, Pickford would be the second choice until first-team keeper Vito Mannone picked up a serious, season-ending injury. By the end of the season, the England keeper would interest fellow Premier League side Everton, moving to Merseyside in 2017. As of 2025, Pickford remains in Merseyside, playing a big part in Everton’s battle to stay in the Premier League and overall goal of pushing for European football, all thanks to the learning and development he achieved during his time in the EFL.
