Top 5 Goalscorer in 2009/2010 EFL Championship Season

Always known as the most competitive second-tier football worldwide. The EFL Championship is always the most interesting and the least predictable league in the world. Eventually, anything can happen in the league. There are also a lot of talents emerged in the league annually. However, can they replicate their goalscoring form elsewhere other than the EFL Championship? So let us look into the history book of EFL Championship and see what happens on the 2009/2010 season.

Season Overview

After just relegated from the Premier League last season, Newcastle United immediately gained promotion back to where they belong by winning the league with a record 102 points as well. West Bromwich Albion finished second and gained promotion on the fist time asking too. Nottingham Forest, Cardiff City, Leicester City and Blackpool occupied the playoff place and Blackpool gained promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their team history by beating Cardiff City in the playoff final. In the relegation battle, Peterborough United, Plymouth Argyle and Sheffield Wednesday were the teams who suffered relegation.

Top 5 Goalscorer in 2009/2010 EFL Championship Season

1. Peter Whittingham (Cardiff City)- 22 goals

The attacking force is the main reason that Cardiff City finished at the promotion playoff place as they are the fourth-best attacking side in the league with 73 goals. Peter Whittingham is the main man behind this strong statistics as he registered 22 goals and 12 assists in 44 games played including the playoff games. By percentage, Whittingham had contributed 41% of entire Cardiff City goals in the league. He was undoubtedly the hottest goalscorer in the league.

Whittingham eventually helped Cardiff City gained promotion in the 2012/2013 EFL Championship season where they won the league in the process. However, Cardiff City was eventually relegated after just one season in the top flight. Whittingham stayed at the Welsh-based club until 2017 and eventually released by the club at the end of the 2016/2017 season. He joined the newly relegated EFL League One side Blackburn Rovers on June 2017. One season later, he had his contract terminated by Blackburn Rovers by mutual consent. Whittingham stayed as a free agent ever since.

2. Nicky Maynard (Bristol City)- 20 goals

Bristol City is not always the team to look after when we mentioned about an exciting football team in the British second-tier side. A tenth place finishes in the league is normally seen as where this team belongs to. However, Nicky Maynard’s performance in the 2009/2010 season is far from boring among his teammates especially when he contributes 20 goals and 5 assists in the mediocre team in the EFL Championship. Which is 44.6% of the entire Bristol City goal scored in the league.

However, Maynard has seemed like the typical Championship quality striker that failed to light up the Premier League. When he eventually gets his chance to play in the prestigious league, he failed to register any goals or assists in his 8 games played. Maynard was then played with several lower division team like Wigan Athletic, Milton Keynes Dons and Bury. Even a playing stint in Aberdeen did not recover his career. Maynard is currently the main man of Mansfield Town in the EFL League Two side.

3. Gary Hooper (Scunthorpe United)- 19 goals

When you are in the conversation of competing for the league’s top scorer where your team is just narrowly escaped relegation. This is what happens when Gary Hooper played for Scunthorpe United in the 2009/2010 EFL Championship season. Scunthorpe scored 62 goals in the league despite finishing 20th place and just 5 points above the relegation zone. Gary Hooper 19 goals and 6 assists are the key factors behind Scunthorpe United high scoring form.

After this season, Gary Hooper earned his transfer to Celtic and further established his reputation in Scotland. Interestingly, Hooper is the only player to score in all division in English football, Scottish Premier League, Scottish Cup, Scottish League Cup, UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. In the latter in his career, Hooper scored wherever he plays. He was then played for Norwich City and Sheffield Wednesday in the lower division of the England football division. He is currently playing for the Australian side, Wellington Phoenix which he also carries his goal scoring form in the other continent.

4. Charlie Adam (Blackpool)- 18 goals

This is the breakout season for both Blackpool and Charlie Adam himself to the football world that they are capable to achieve the unthinkable. As a central midfield, Charlie Adam had contributed 18 goals and 9 assists (includes playoff) in this season. This is the performance that helped Blackpool to gain promotion to the coveted Premier League for the first time. This is the pinnacle of both of the club and Adam's career in a whole.

He even further established himself in the Premier League as Blackpool was narrowly relegated in the Premier League. Adam signed for Liverpool in the next season which he flopped terribly. He was subsequently sold to Stoke City where he restored his reputation as the reliable central midfielder. When Stoke City get relegated in 2017/2018, he remained in the team but his game time was decreased. On July 2019, Adam joined Championship side Reading.

5. Michael Chopra (Cardiff City)- 18 goals

The second Cardiff City striker in the list, Chopra’s 18 goals and 5 assists are also the catalyst that the Welsh-based club flying high in the league. The partnership between him and Whittingham is the main reason for Cardiff City free-scoring form in the league. Although his statistic is not as impressive as his partner, Chopra still managed to contribute 27.4% of the entire Cardiff City goal scored in the league.

Despite his lethal partnership with Whittingham, their career took a different pathway. After another year stay in Cardiff, Chopra transferred to Ipswich Town where his career started to decline. Even though he enjoyed a brilliant first season, his spell in Ipswich Town is disappointing as he only registered 19 goals and 7 assists in all competitions in these two years, with the majority of them comes from the first season. After a goalless spell in Blackpool, he ended his playing career in India for Kerala Blasters and Alloa Athletic.

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