It’s their coolness under pressure, their deadly eye for goal, their ability to conjure up a moment magic that can be the difference between success and failure, and their power to get bums of seats that makes them stand out above anyone else on game days.
However, without a final, accurate pass into the box or some quick thinking from a team-mate, for example, these so-called fans’ favourites wouldn’t get half the adulation they enjoy from their respective fan bases.
So who are the creative forces propping up these goal-getters? Who are the team-mates with the artistic spark to ignite a stadium? Who are players who often take a back seat when the ball finds the back of the net – or goes agonisingly wide, in some cases?
Well, we’ve been looking into League One’s most creative talents so far this season to see who comes up with the most chances for their team-mates to thrive off.
Interestingly, it’s a Pompey player who produces the goods more often than any other player in the division – Jack Sparkes. The only downside for him, though, is that the Blues’ forwards aren’t making the most of his forays down the left and eye-catching deliveries into the box. The former Exeter man’s five assists to date leave him behind Blackpool’s CJ Hamilton and Peterborough’s Kwame Poku in that particular department.
However, no-one in the third-tier matches him in terms of the number of chances created – making him any centre-forward’s dream provider – as your stats provided by the BBC below show.

1. League One's most creative players
Jack Sparkes, right, earns praise from him Pompey team-mates Picture: Barry Zee Photo: Barry Zee

2. Jack Sparkes - Pompey
Chances created in League One: 32. Assists so far: 5. Photo: Jason Brown

3. Nathaniel Mendez-Laing - Derby
Chances created in League One: 30 Assists so far: 5. Photo: Ben Roberts Photo

4. Cameron Brannagan - Oxford United
Chances created in League One: 30. Assists so far: 4. Photo: Malcolm Couzens