After another thrilling Sky Bet Championship season, we’ve picked out 11 top-performing players, plus a manager, to form our Team of the Season.
Goalkeeper: Tom Heaton (Burnley)A PFA Championship Team of the Year place, the most-voted for goalkeeper in the Championship Player of the Year Award, and a Championship winner - it was quite a season for Heaton, capped off by an England debut and provisional call-up for Euro 2016.
Defender: George Friend (Middlesbrough)
Full-back Friend was a key cog in Middlesbrough’s stellar back line and his successful season was capped by being named the PFA Player in the community at The Football League Awards.
Defender: Daniel Ayala (Middlesbrough)
Ayala was a rock at the heart of a stern Middlesbrough defence, coming seventh in the manager’s Player of the Year vote. He was also effective at the other end, scoring three vital goals during the campaign.
Defender: Michael Dawson (Hull City)
Hull conceded just 35 goals from their 46 games this term and the experienced Dawson was crucial to that impressive record. He was also voted the eighth-best player in the division by club managers.
Defender: Bruno (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Spaniard Bruno played in all 46 of Brighton’s matches this term as they challenged for automatic promotion. The full-back was included in the Football manager Team of the Season at The Football League Awards.
Midfielder: Adam Clayton (Middlesbrough)
The driving force at the heart of the Middlesbrough midfield, Clayton was an influential figure for Boro as they finished second and returned to the top flight after a seven-year absence.
Midfielder: Joey Barton (Burnley)
Barton’s experience was crucial in the Burnley midfield as they clinched the Sky Bet Championship title. The 33-year-old now has three Championship promotions on his CV, and also picked up Burnley’s Player of the Year honour.
Midfielder: Alan Judge (Brentford)
Brentford talisman Judge scored 14 goals and notched 11 assists in a highly productive campaign, prior to suffering a season-ending injury.
Forward: Fernando Forestieri (Sheffield Wednesday)
Wednesday’s main creative force hit the net 15 times in an impressive season, quickly becoming a crowd favourite at Hillsborough while helping the Owls to a place in the Play-Offs.
Forward: Ross McCormack (Fulham)
Fulham may have finished 20th in the Sky Bet Championship but McCormack still managed 21 goals for the season, and formed a lethal partnership with team-mate Moussa Dembele.
Forward: Andre Gray (Burnley)
Gray fired the Clarets to the Sky Bet Championship title, scoring 25 league goals to finish as the division’s top scorer. He also claimed the Sky Bet Player of the Year prize at The Football League Awards.
Manager: Chris Hughton (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Brighton finished 20th in the Sky Bet Championship last term but, under the stewardship of Hughton, battled at the top of the division this time around, only missing out on automatic promotion on goal difference on a tense final day.