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Published Sep 15, 2026, 8:10 AM GMT+1
Daniel is an experienced football writer and editor with more than a decade of experience covering the professional game, specialising in the Championship, Football League and Scottish football, alongside in-depth coverage of Norwich City, Celtic and Rangers.
A journalist since 2015, Daniel began his career writing for Fresh Press before progressing into a full-time writing and editing role, producing club-focused coverage for Read Norwich, Read Celtic, Read Liverpool and Read Arsenal. He later spent almost a year with Liverpool-based outlet Anfield Watch, where his work included conducting and transcribing interviews with figures including Liverpool goalkeeping coach John Achterberg, former Wycombe striker Adebayo Akinfenwa and journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Daniel has worked with Snack Media (now Valnet) since 2021, contributing to Football FanCast as both a writer and editor. His work focuses particularly on player analysis, transfer insight and original football features, combining detailed knowledge of the game with research-driven assessment of players, clubs and potential moves.
His specialist knowledge of Norwich City and the Football League has also seen him contribute to BBC Norfolk and assist DAZN with research for commentary broadcasts. As a Norwich City season-ticket holder, Daniel brings a level of first-hand knowledge of the club and its players that complements his wider expertise across the Championship and EFL. His Norwich coverage has also featured in publications including the Coventry Telegraph and Liverpool Echo.
Alongside his Football League expertise, Daniel has covered Celtic and Rangers extensively, developing a strong understanding of Scottish football. His work gives readers informed transfer assessment, detailed player analysis and authoritative insight into clubs and competitions he has spent years following and reporting on.
West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers are two of the clubs aiming to compete for a place in the top eight in the Championship this season.
The two Midlands rivals are both in the top eight as it stands and both have reasons to believe that they can get back to the Premier League by the 2027/28 campaign.
Getting out of the Championship is no easy feat, though, and it takes a squad that is robust, consistent, and full of quality to make it to the top-flight.
Teams also typically need a mercurial attacking talent to elevate their attack. There have been many such players in the division over the years, including former Norwich star James Maddison.
How James Maddison developed in the Championship
The Canaries signed the attacking midfielder from Coventry City when they were in the Premier League in January 2016, but they sent him back out on loan to the Sky Blues before loaning him to Aberdeen the following season.
Daniel Farke's arrival at Norwich in 2017 provided Maddison with an opportunity to play regular minutes in the Championship, though, and he emerged as a superstar in the second tier.
The English playmaker proved his worth in the league by delivering goals and assists on a regular basis in the number ten position, racking up 22 goal contributions in 44 matches.
|
Appearances |
44 |
|
Goals |
14 |
|
Big chances missed |
2 |
|
Key passes per game |
2.8 |
|
Big chances created |
8 |
|
Assists |
8 |
|
Successful dribbles per game |
2.4 |
His form in the Championship earned him a £25m move to Leicester City in the summer of 2018, before he eventually moved to Tottenham for £40m in 2023.
Maddison honed his craft in the second tier with the Canaries and that set him up to be an impressive performer in the Premier League over the past eight seasons, racking up 107 goal contributions in 227 appearances.
Wolves and West Brom have found their own versions of Maddison
The England international used his time in the Championship as a springboard to better things, and Wolves and West Brom both have players who could follow in his footsteps.
At the Hawthorns, the Baggies swooped to sign Jimmy Jay Morgan from Chelsea in a deal worth up to £5m during the summer transfer window to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.
Meanwhile, Wolves brought Spanish attacking midfielder Fer Lopez back into the fold after their relegation to the second tier, after he spent the second half of last season on loan at Celta Vigo.
In the first two months of the Championship campaign, both players look like stars who have the quality and potential to be the division's new version of Maddison.
Action Images/Lee SmithWest Brom badly needed attacking reinforcements after they finished 21st in the Championship and only scored 48 goals in 46 matches last season, and Morgan has given them an instant boost at the top end of the pitch.
The 20-year-old talent has scored five goals and provided three assists in nine appearances in all competitions for the Baggies, including two goals in two League Cup outings.
|
Appearances |
6 |
7 |
|
xG |
2.11 |
1.79 |
|
Goals |
3 |
3 |
|
Key passes per game |
1.8 |
0.9 |
|
Big chances created |
2 |
2 |
|
Assists |
2 |
3 |
|
Successful dribbles per game |
1.5 |
0.7 |
Lopez, meanwhile, has helped Wolves avoid a slow start to their return to the second tier with five goal contributions in six matches in the Championship this term.
Both players have already shown that they have the quality and physicality to deliver consistently impressive performances in the league, offering both goals and creativity, and it looks like the two clubs have struck gold with them.
Whilst Morgan has been deployed as a second striker or as a centre-forward by the Baggies, he is also capable of playing as an out-and-out number ten, which is the role that Lopez is currently playing for the Old Gold.
The Midlands stars are both looking like two of the early frontrunners to win the Championship Player of the Season award, due to their attacking contributions, but it is now down to them to remain consistent over the next 40 games or so.
Action Images/Andrew CouldridgeIf Lopez and Morgan continue to chip in with goals and assists on a regular basis, they could both get to the Premier League even if their clubs fail to, just as Maddison did when Norwich failed to earn promotion.
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