8 – Tendayi Darikwa
A season in Cyprus with Apollon Limassol immediately preceded Tendayi Darikwa’s return to English football, with the former Wigan Athletic captain joining us on a free transfer in July 2024. He scored on his debut at Burton Albion and finished his first campaign as our Player of the Season, before taking the captain’s armband ahead of 2025/26. That second season brought the League One title and a place in the division’s Team of the Season, adding another promotion to a career that had already included success with Chesterfield, Burnley and Wigan.
Darikwa is on this list primarily because of his impact on the pitch, although his influence around the club has been every bit as valuable. When we were trying to replace Lasse Sorensen, bringing in a player in his thirties from Cyprus felt like a departure from the recruitment we had become accustomed to. On paper, you could have wondered whether his best years were behind him, whether there was a coaching role in mind, or whether we were asking too much of somebody who had stepped away from English football. Instead, we got two outstanding seasons from a captain who led by example, brought energy and quality to the side, and became a role model for the younger players, notably Jovon Makama.
We didn’t sign him to sell him on, but that doesn’t mean his influence hasn’t helped others develop and become more valuable. His injury is desperately unfortunate, but whatever comes next, there is a reason he leads our montage on matchday: he has become one of the most important first-team signings of this entire era.
Hard to argue with the list … totally agree with comments about Harry Anderson !