EFL play-off stories: Wembley drama, boyhood dreams & forgiving Thierry Henry

It is easy to forget now that Shea Charles missed nearly three months of the season with injury, missing late October through to late January.

"Obviously it was a tough season in the mid part when I had my injury," Charles says.

"It was the first one I've ever had, so it was a bit of a weird one. I had a bit of a setback in the middle of the injury as well, so it was tough, but I have got mates and team-mates that have gone through similar things, so they helped me and I was able to get through it.

"I take care of myself, but I have been lucky not to have any injuries like that. These things happen to almost every player, so it is about how you react to it and I feel like I have reacted quite well."

That is an understatement. Charles has been one of the stars in midfield as Southampton have risen to the play-offs, while he also scored the winner against Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-final that took them to Wembley.

"Coming back and being able to contribute and score a few goals along the way has been really good for me," the 22-year-old adds.

"The team is doing really well at the moment, so yeah, it's really good vibes."

Tommy Conway is undoubtedly a fan favourite at Middlesbrough, despite being at the club for less than two years.

His workrate and endeavour up top has endeared him to the Riverside faithful, and that has taken on a new level this season as the club have pushed for promotion to the Premier League.

"You can feel the buzz around the town," he says. "Even when you're doing your food shop there are fans there and they're buzzing.

"When you're in a place like this where football is everything, it's perfect for me as a footballer. I want to play for passionate fans and for fans that want to win every week. People are living and breathing Middlesbrough Football Club and I think that's so special.

"To play for them, to win on the weekend and to give back to them means a lot. I'd love nothing more than to go up this year and give something back to everyone because it would be very special.

"A big part of my game is based on energy, pressing from the front and being a nuisance, and you feed off the fans a lot of the time. When times are getting tough and they get behind you, it makes you go that extra bit further.

"You just want to give back to them. They're so supportive, even when you're going through tough times. I just want to give back to them as much as possible."

"The simple answer is no," Jake Cooper says with a smile. The Millwall defender has just been asked whether he still would have expected to spend nearly a decade at the club after joining on loan in January 2017.

"Neil Harris brought me in and I didn't know where I would go after the three or four months I was here. To then join permanently and see the progress within the football club, I wanted to be part of that.

"I wanted my career to push forward as well. We've kind of gone at the same pace as each other and it's worked as a really good relationship between myself and the club."

Now 31, Cooper has been a stalwart at The Den ever since signing and is fifth on the all-time list of appearance makers for Millwall. Quite a remarkable feat in the modern day.

In seven of his nine full seasons for the club, he has made upwards of 40 Championship appearances. In total he has made more than 400 for the club.

"It's not something I saw coming in or set out to achieve, it's just been nice," he adds. "I always try to make myself available because I want to play as many games as I can. I enjoy being part of it every week and the appearances have added up quite quickly.

"Now it's about trying to improve, trying to make the team better and using my experience to help new players understand what the fan base wants and how people see us from the outside. We need to pull together to try and achieve something special for this football club."

Hull have twice been promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs; in 2007/08 - thanks to that Dean Windass goal - and in 2015/16 under Steve Bruce.

On both occasions, Lewie Coyle watched his hometown club triumph from across the way in Leeds, where he was on the books from 2004 to 2020.

Now, though, the defender is the Tigers' club captain. And after they pipped Wrexham and Derby to the final play-off place on the last day of the regular season, he has a dream at the forefront of his mind.

"I was a young boy - I call it 'the golden era', when Hull had that first success at Wembley. That's the stuff I dreamed of being able to do as a player myself," he says.

"I look back with fond memories. It's great for the city, it's great for everyone involved at the club and it's now time for me to put my stamp on things and really try and make it happen."

This comes just a year after Hull avoided relegation to League One on goal difference alone.

The 30-year-old knows more than most what it would mean to reach the top-flight.

"It means everything to be club captain," he added. "It's something I'm very, very proud of. I don't take it for granted. I know that a football career is very short and this will all be over some day.

"To be able to proudly say I'm the club captain of my hometown club, it would just make it that bit sweeter if we go on and achieve that ultimate dream of getting this club back to the Premier League.