Robins goalkeeper Max voted 40th best player in EFL
BRISTOL City goalkeeper Max O’Leary has been voted one of the best 50 players across the EFL this season, by readers of football monthly FourFourTwo.
O’Leary has been ranked 40th overall after supporters from all 72 clubs in the Championship, League One and League Two were asked to submit their top 10 players of the season, with points assigned per position and weighting assigned to each division.
O’Leary, who has started each one of the Robins 49 matches this term in league and cup, is also one of only two goalkeepers on the list with Rotherham United’s Viktor Johansson seven places higher.
It’s been the 27-year-old’s first full campaign as a regular starter for City, having been with the club since he was nine. The Bath-born stopper has had to wait patiently for his chance since earning his debut in 2016, and after taking Dan Bentley’s place in October 2022 has been a fixture in the side under Nigel Pearson and Liam Manning.
Given his relative lack of experience, O’Leary is also continuing to develop and improve, and after some early-season mistakes has been a model of consistency between the posts with 12 clean sheets, joint fifth overall in the division. He also ranks first in the Championship among his peers for save percentage at 76.1 per cent.
Manning has consistently praised O’Leary’s calmness and composure, which then feeds out to the rest of the team in defending certain situations, and he’s become increasingly involved on the ball as City look to build from the back.
The Robins had two entries in last season’s edition with Anis Mehmeti at No 36, primarily after his exploits with Wycombe Wanderers in League One, while Alex Scott was No 17. Andi Weimann (No 34) and Antoine Semenyo (No 30) were also named for 2021-22.
There is City-related interest elsewhere on the list with muchloved former loan striker Matt Smith, who’s scored 23 goals for Salford City in League Two voted at No 48 and Sammie Szmodics’ 24 goals for Blackburn Rovers earning him a spot at No 5.
Bristol-born midfielder Herbie Kane, who was sold to Liverpool in 2013, when he was just 15 and in the Robins academy, has enjoyed a
fine season with Barnsley in League One and is at No27.
O’Hare (Coventry City); 11. Ethan Ampadu (Leeds United); 10. Harry Winks (Leicester City); 9. Kyle Walker-Peters (Southampton); 8. Morgan Whittaker (Plymouth Argyle); 7. Jaden Philogene (Hull City); 6.Georgino Rutter (Leeds United); 5. Sammie Szmodics (Blackburn Rovers); 4. Adam Armstrong (Southampton); 3. Jack Clarke (Sunderland); 2. Crysencio Summerville (Leeds United); 1. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Leicester City).