Five players to watch in the Championship this season

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Ryan Woods – Brentford

A product of the Football League’s underrated talent flow, the former Shrewsbury man cut his teeth in the Football League’s basement division before transferring to Brentford last summer. A consistent part of Dean Smith’s first team plans at the base of the Bee’s midfield, Woods showcased an impressive range of passing to cement his name on the team-sheet ahead of ex-Chelsea golden boy Josh McEachran. Now in his second season in the second tier, the man known by the apt moniker “ginger Pirlo” is looking to go from strength to strength.

The Brentford midfield will be missing a vital cog at the start of this campaign, with Alan Judge’s double leg break keeping him sidelined well into the new season. Woods will have to step up, not only providing his typical metronomic passing from deep, but also a bit of cutting edge at the business end of the pitch. If he can add a few more feathers to his bow, dangerous set-piece delivery or incisive long balls, Woods can help Brentford fill the hole left by the debilitated Judge and propel his polished game to a new level.