On paper, Bournemouth’s 5-0 destruction of Swansea in the FA Cup on Thursday evening did little to showcase the strength of the EFL.
But a quick scan of the Cherries’ teamsheet demonstrates just what a pivotal role the competition plays in developing the homegrown stars of tomorrow.
Lewis Cook, Lloyd Kelly, David Brooks, Alex Scott and Dominic Solanke all learned their trade in the Championship, as did substitute and regular Premier League starter Marcus Tavernier.
Right-back James Hill spent four seasons at Fleetwood and the first half of the current campaign on loan at Blackburn.
Now they...