All 24 EFL League One clubs' best centre-back ranked from best to worst | OneFootball

We've taken a look at the best centre-backs in League One

The League One season is almost over, in what has been an extraordinary and unusual season of third-tier action.

The likes of Birmingham City and Wrexham have brought global attention to the division off-the-pitch, but have excelled at the top of the table, whilst there is still plenty to play for in the race for the top six, as well as the relegation battle.

In order to complete their aims for the remainder of the season, each manager will be relying on those at the back to showcase strong organisation and leadership qualities, with defensive solidity so often providing the foundations for a successful side.

There have been an array of centre-backs who have shone in the division this term, and FLW have ranked each club's best of the season in a 1-24 order.

1 Christoph Klarer - Birmingham City

Regardless of the investment which has been pumped into Birmingham City, Christoph Klarer is among those in contention for 'Signing of the Season' in the division after a stellar first season in B9.

The former Southampton academy graduate was signed from SV Darmstadt for a reported £3.5m after featuring in the Bundesliga this season, and it's not been hard to see why the Austrian has featured at much higher levels, with his aerial ability and composure on the ball a key facet behind Chris Davies' strong defence, initially forming a formidable partnership with Krystian Bielik before doing so again alongside Ben Davies.

It has been argued that many of the current Blues squad have been tipped to aclimatise to life in the Championship fairly seamlessly, with the regular on-pitch captain one of those.

2 Max Cleworth - Wrexham

Wrexham's rapid and continued rise has been well-documented in recent seasons, and homegrown defender Max Cleworth has risen to the challenges of both League Two and League One exceptionally well in successive campaigns.

The 22-year-old has put in so many consistent performances alongside fellow defensive mainstay Eoghan O'Connell as three successive promotions remains very much on the cards for the Red Dragons.

Cleworth has also proven himself as a useful weapon for Phil Parkinson to deploy up the pitch, as he finds himself as one of the club's top scorers, with former player Bryan Hughes recently claiming that the defender could shatter his current record as the club's most expensive departure.

Despite the off-field sagas which have clouded over Reading in recent times, the emergence of Tyler Bindon has been the main feel-good story in Berkshire, with the New Zealand international bidding farewell to the Select Car Leasing Stadium at the end of the season as he heads to Nottingham Forest for his first season of action at the City Ground.

The 20-year-old has continually shown maturity beyond his years, ranking extremely high on so many defensive metrics, which includes being in the top 95.3 percentile when it comes to recoveries across the league, highlighting why clubs such as Arsenal had the Kiwi on their radar.

It remains to be seen how he will fare in the East Midlands given Forest's potential European exploits next season, but Bindon is definitely one of many on this list with a bright future in store.

4 Caleb Taylor - Wycombe Wanderers

Wycombe Wanderers have a plethora of talented and domineering centre-backs at their disposal, with West Bromwich Albion loanee Caleb Taylor the pick of the bunch.

The towering defender wasn't able to fully show his talent at this level in an underwhelming loan spell at Bolton Wanderers during the second half of this season. But, he has proven exactly why those at The Hawthorns believe he should be given a place within their own matchday squad in the Championship.

Taylor ranks among the top 94 percentile for both aerial duels won and interceptions, highlighting his defensive nous, as well as proving a threat at vital moments for Mike Dodds' side in the promotion race, with the standout moment in that regard being his recent last-gasp winner against Stevenage.

5 Paudie O'Connor - Lincoln City

Despite being in the middle of the road in terms of league position, Lincoln City boast one of the division's best centre-backs in the form of Paudie O'Connor.

Since joining the Imps in 2022, the former Leeds United man's performances have gone from strength-to-strength at both ends of the pitch, with the current campaign being his most productive thus far at the LNER Stadium.

It was no surprise to see the Irishman linked with a potential move to Plymouth Argyle as he entered the final six months of his contract with Lincoln, although a deal would not materialise, with Michael Skubala no doubt desperate to secure his long-term future as interest could be rife for his services on a potential free transfer.

Lloyd Jones has established himself as a household name in League One, and his experience has aided an upturn in form which has seen Charlton Athletic effectively solidify their position in the play-offs.

The former Liverpool man was the subject of a dismissed bid from Wycombe in January amid uncertainty over the future of Taylor and Joe Low at Adams Park, before Jones put pen-to-paper on a new contract at the Valley, with his leadership such an integral part of Nathan Jones' setup in South London.

After rarely featuring for Luton Town in the Championship earlier in his career, the 29-year-old will hope to prove a point in the second tier if the Addicks' promotion bid is to be successful.

7 Ethan Pye - Stockport County

Much like Stockport County, Ethan Pye is someone who has risen through the lower divisions at a rapid pace, and has excelled at Edgeley Park since joining from Gateshead in May 2023.

The Hatters' success has also been built on a sound defensive footing, which Pye has been crucial to, with the 22-year-old among the best in the league when it comes to successful tackles, as well as carrying a creative threat for Dave Challinor's men, who are targeting a third promotion in four seasons.

The story of Stevenage's season has been a rock-solid defence, with the experienced and towering figure of Carl Piergianni the key reason behind such success for Alex Revell.

Unsurprisingly, at 6"0, the former Salford City man continues to give Boro an edge in both boxes, which sees him rank among the top percentage of players in the third-tier when it comes to duels won and aerial duels won.

Stevenage will hope this form continues as they prepare for a third straight season in the division after being promoted from League Two,

9 Brandon Cooper - Leyton Orient

Leyton Orient have also conceded very few goals across the season as Richie Wellens' men look to gatecrash the top six, despite using so many players at centre-back across the season.

Brandon Cooper hasn't featured the most for the O's this season, having started in just under half of his league appearances, but has developed a habit of being one of the most threatening at the opposite end of the pitch, and will hope to prove a point against former club Swansea City next term if the East London side made it into the second tier.

10 Matty Pearson - Huddersfield Town

Many would have expected Huddersfield Town to have had a much stronger season after being relegated from the Championship, although the Terriers have performed relatively well defensively for the most part, especially when factoring in an inconsistent squad selection and managerial turnover.

Matty Pearson made it into double figures in terms of goals for the Terriers last season, and he is among the highest-scoring centre-backs in League One this term, despite only featuring for approximately three-quarters of the season.

Huddersfield can still make the play-offs, and if they are to do so, they need to showcase better defensive form than of late, which has seen them ship an abundance of goals on their travels in particular.

Wigan Athletic have been, by far, the best defensive side in the bottom half of League One. And, whilst the Latics boast one of the division's best goalkeepers in Sam Tickle, Will Aimson has also performed admirably at the heart of defence.

The 30-year-old's experience in the division with the likes of Bolton Wanderers has come in handy across a young squad, as he also ranks among the best centre-backs for tackles and duels won, and that must continue as they look to fully secure their status in the division ahead of the likes of Burton Albion and Bristol Rovers.

Oliver Casey has proven to be one of the division's most well-rounded defenders in what has been a season of mixed fortunes for Blackpool under Steve Bruce.

The former Leeds United man has been one of the most composed on the ball, racking up over 1,300 successful passes and a completion ratio of over 85%.

The 24-year-old is also among the league's strongest tacklers, despite the fact that the Tangerines have conceded the second-highest number of goals in the top half, with supporters feeling that Casey is definitely underrated outside of Bloomfield Road.

13 George Johnston - Bolton Wanderers

Similarly to the aforementioned Casey, Bolton Wanderers' George Johnston has also created a plethora of chances for his colleagues at the Toughsheet Community Stadium

However, Bolton haven't been anywhere near their previous defensive levels in a season which saw Ian Evatt replaced by Steven Schumacher, and it is these particular metrics which let the former Feyenoord man down, having an extremely low tackle success rate, despite ranking high when it comes to shots blocked, which continues the club's overall theme of inconsistency which could hold them back in terms of promotion.

14 Cameron Humphreys - Rotherham United

Rotherham United have been well off the pace in terms of achieving an instant return to the second tier as Steve Evans was dismissed and replaced by Matt Hamshaw.

Despite having plenty of experience to call upon throughout the squad, the vast majority have underperformed below what would be expected of them, which has been proven by Cameron Humphreys' overall stats, which represent a season of inconsistency.

It will be intriguing to see where Hamshaw deploys the 26-year-old in the long run, having been used at the base of midfield in recent games.

15 Josh Earl - Barnsley

Barnsley's defensive woes have also been a major issue, although Josh Earl will be somewhat pleased with his individual performances either in the centre or on the left of the Tykes' defence.

The former Bolton man has had a productive first full season at Oakwell which has seen him create over 20 chances for his teammates, with his pace and dynamism also key in stopping the Reds from adding to a record which has seen them concede over 60 times, ranking in the top 93.8% when it comes to ball recoveries compared to players of a similar ilk in the league.

16

Peterborough United's season has been plagued by inconsistency and a leaky defence, with Emmanuel Fernandez the standout in the middle of Darren Ferguson's rearguard.

The EFL Trophy winners proved that they have the capabilities to cause teams plenty of issues and limiting opportunities when on their 'A-game', which they definitely were at Wembley, with Fernandez and Oscar Wallin limiting Jay Stansfield to very few chances.

It remains to be seen if the 22-year-old will still ply his trade at the Weston Homes Stadium after the season's end though, having been the subject of previous interest from Norwich City.

17 Angus MacDonald - Exeter City

Exeter City have utilised a number of centre-backs this campaign, and whilst he has only been at the club since January, Angus MacDonald has provided a wealth of experience to the Grecians' backline.

It has been a mixed bag in terms of results and performances since the 32-year-old's move to Devon, with the strongest of those coming in a 2-0 victory over Mansfield Town.

If the former Hull City man is able to reach those standards in the remaining games, he will have done his chances of a longer deal at St James' Park no harm.

18 James Wilson - Bristol Rovers

Bristol Rovers have been in danger of sleepwalking into League Two during the second half of the season, and circumstances could've been even worse for the Gas if it wasn't for James Wilson's contributions.

No one has bettered the 36-year-old in the league when it comes to tackling, with a success rate of over 70% also adding to a handful of goals and assists for Inigo Calderon's outfit.

Deji Oshilaja has proven exactly why Nigel Clough moved to bring the physical centre-back to Mansfield Town after their return to League One in the summer.

The 33-year-old has previously won promotion from this level with Charlton Athletic, and his experience has seen him rank among the best in the division when it comes to recovery tackles and interceptions alongside being a handful from set-pieces for the Stags.

20 Jon Guthrie - Northampton Town

Jon Guthrie had been one of Northampton Town's most consistent performers before suffering a season-ending ankle ligament injury against Stevenage in January.

Unfortunately for the 32-year-old, that could also prove to be his last game for the Cobblers, as he is out-of-contract this summer, added to the fact that under Kevin Nolan, the side at the wrong end of the table have picked up some strong results, as well as being more defensively sound as a collective unit.