EFL Countdown | #46 Liam Roberts

We're still a fair way away from our 'Top 10', but Playmaker's countdown of its '72' best EFL footballers this season is rumbling along nicely and next up is another keeper...who currently boasts more league clean sheets than any other member of the 'Goalkeeper's Union' this season. 

Before we introduce the player in question, we'd like to quickly point out that 'Playmaker's 72' is not necessarily aimed at ID'ing the best footballers across the EFL - instead, it focuses on those who have enjoyed the best campaigns across the Championship, League One and League Two this season.

Now that the scene is set, here's our Number 46...Northampton Town's Liam Roberts. 

On signing Liam Roberts from Walsall back in June 2021, Northampton boss Jon Brady spoke of a goalkeeper with a wealth of League One and Two experience, who was "at a good age" and had "the potential to improve further"...and the now 27-year-old has proved his manager right with a fantastic debut season for the Cobblers. 

A whopping 18 league clean sheets, the most kept by any goalkeeper across 'The 92' this season, speaks volumes for Roberts' displays between the sticks for Town this term, his shutout percentage (45%) in L2 only bettered by Tranmere loanee Ross Doohan (46%) during the current campaign. 

While Doohan has only been called upon to make 57 saves this season in his 29 games for Rovers, though, Roberts has made over 100 saves (105) in 40 appearances, according to FBref, and his save percentage in 2021/22 is the best in the division: 77%. 

Closer inspection of Roberts' numbers provides further cause for his inclusion in Playmaker's prestigious '72'. He has made 45 clearances this season, ranking second for L2 stoppers, and has yet to take an unsuccessful touch or be dispossessed in league action. 

Further, he has played 318 accurate long balls this season, a figure that only four L2 goalkeepers can beat (Morris, Oxley, Bouzanis and Vigouroux). 

Offensively, Northampton have scored more League Two goals (22) from set-pieces than any team this season, but at the other end Roberts and his backline have run a tight ship - only seven goals conceded from dead-balls (excluding penalties) underlining the Cobblers' defensive nous and organisation. 

The only Cobbler to play every minute of every L2 game this season, Roberts will no doubt be key to Northampton's promotion hopes this season - Brady's side currently fourth in the table and with all to play for with six regular season matches remaining. 

Playmaker's 72

Check out the articles for all of those featured so far...

47: Lewis O'Brien 48: Gavin Bazunu 49: Lloyd Kelly 50: Sepp van den Berg 51: Wes Burns 52: Wes Foderingham 53: Ross Sykes 54: Dan Neil 55: Kal Naismith 56: Fraser Horsfall 57: Keane Lewis-Potter 58: Jack Diamond 59: Christian Walton 60: Ricardo Santos 61: Jack Rudoni 62: Matt Grimes 63: Ilias Chair 64: Conor Grant 65: Peter Clarke 66: Callum Lang 67: Viktor Gyökeres 68: Stephen McLaughlin 69: Tom Lawrence 70: Davis Keillor-Dunn 71: Emil Riis 72: Rob Dickie