Playmaker's EFL 72: #37 Aden Flint

Playmaker's countdown of the EFL's best players this season marches resolutely on as we enter the thirties where things really begin hotting up.

It's certainly been no easy task, but - just to clarify - our '72' is less a roll call of the best footballers in the EFL and more a tribute to those players who have enjoyed the most memorable seasons while racking up the most impressive stats.

Whatever the criteria, we're confident in our selections of the most outstanding players through the Championship, League One, and League Two and welcome any debate on the subject!

Next up we have a tall centre-back who has helped his team earn promotion to League One this year...

Number 37: Aden Flint (Mansfield Town)

After gaining promotion from League One via the playoffs with Sheffield Wednesday, Aden Flint was one of the marquee signings in League Two as Mansfield Town pulled off the coup of his signing and he has been key in another promotion-winning campaign.

The 6'6" centre-back joined the Stags on a free transfer last summer. His experience and know how in both boxes has been essential in Nigel Clough’s side getting automatic promotion to League One.

For an attack minded and front foot Mansfield side, Aden Flint has made 3.9 clearances per game, which is more than any other player in the Mansfield squad. At exactly one per game on average, too, Flint has managed the most blocks for Mansfield this season.

Flint is perhaps a member of the ‘old school’ in terms of the way in which a team chooses to play, even despite the fact Mansfield have been an attacking side in League Two this season.

For example, only defensive midfielder Louis Reed as played more long balls than the former Cardiff City and Bristol City defender so far this season.

At the age of 34, only goalkeeper Christy Pym has managed more minutes than Flint for Mansfield so far this season and will be expected to remain a key man for them in the third-tier next season.

🆙Most goals scored in 2024 (top four tiers):

45⚽️: ⚡️MANSFIELD⚡️
39⚽️: Southampton
38⚽️: Arsenal, Stockport
37⚽️: Ipswich, Bolton, Peterborough

Congratulations @mansfieldtownfc 🎉🥳#Stags pic.twitter.com/yzfgbr3kwo

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) April 16, 2024

Playmaker's EFL 72...the countdown

38: Ronnie Edwards 39: Josh Sargent 40: Alex Gilbey 41: Ben Sheaf

42: Jobe Bellingham 43: Devante Cole 44: Jacob Greaves 45: Paddy Lane

46: Herbie Kane 47: Dan James 48: Archie Collins 49: Karamoko Dembele

50: Haji Wright 51: Dan Crowley 52: Cameron Brannagan 53: Aaron Collins

54: Andy Cook 55: Connor Shaughnessy 56: Jannik Vestergaard

57: Willy Gnonto 58: Ellis Simms 59: Charlie Hughes 60: Fatawu Isshaku

61: Sam Hoskins 62: Paul Mullin 63: Chris Martin 64: Omari Hutchinson

65: Isaac Hutchinson 66: Sam Tickle 67: Ben Hinchcliffe 68: Michał Helik

69: Lewis Wing 70: Rob Apter 71: Kyle Walker-Peters 72: Alex Palmer