Is Bristol City’s Scott Twine The Best Deadball Specialist in the EFL?

Scott Twine scored an inch-perfect free-kick just four minutes into Bristol City’s EFL Championship season opener against Sheffield United. His performance on Saturday afternoon has reopened the debate over whether he is the best dead-ball specialist in the EFL.

The 26-year-old has had an EFL career filled with ups and downs. He was highly regarded in his early days, particularly after an incredible season in League One with MK Dons. He scored 20 goals and provided 13 assists in 48 appearances. However, he failed to reach the same heights at recently relegated Burnley.

Vincent Kompany had just taken over, and Twine was one of his first signings for a fee believed to be around £4 million. He would go on to play just 17 times for the Clarets, scoring three goals, interestingly, two of those came from free-kicks.

Bristol City and Hull City Spells

Since then, there have been loan spells to both Hull City and Bristol City, before that Bristol move was made permanent in the summer of 2024. Twine has played his football in the Championship every season since 2022/23, and over that time he has scored 17 goals, nine of which have come from set pieces. That means just under 53% of his goals have come from dead-ball situations.

Scott Twine – The Numbers

Of course, that doesn’t tell the full story. You have to factor in conversion rate. Removing a penalty scored against Sheffield Wednesday in 2023/24, Twine has netted eight free-kicks across the Championship and FA Cup, from a total of 44 attempts. That’s a conversion rate of slightly over 18%. For context, arguably the most highly rated free-kick taker in English football, James Ward-Prowse, has scored three free-kicks over the same period with a conversion rate of 8%.

His numbers in terms of assists from dead-ball situations aren’t quite as glamorous. During his time as a Championship player, he has provided nine assists in total, with three of them coming from set pieces. The majority of his assists came in that standout season in League One, with MK Dons, where he registered thirteen assists, six of which were from a stationary position

If you were to ask the question, what is Scott Twine’s best trait as a footballer? most would point to his ability from dead-ball situations. When you compare him to other players in this regard, there aren’t many better. Bristol City have made a very strong start to the Championship season and look as if they will be in the playoff hunt yet again. With Twine’s set-piece quality in their arsenal, there will always be a goal threat.