Extremely rare 15-goal haul for Bristol City player will go down in Robins folklore | OneFootball

Aden Flint's 2014-15 League One season will go down in history for all the right reasons

In his prime, Aden Flint was one of the best defenders in the EFL, which is showed by the transfer fee he went for to Middlesbrough and also his general record.

Honing his trade in non-league during the late 2000's, Flint began his career at Pinxton of the Central Midlands Football League and his first transfer in football saw him depart the club for Alfreton Town in a deal worth £3,000.

Having applied himself well at the Reds, it was Swindon Town who would pick the youngster up, and he astutely made the jump to professional football, playing 79 games during his two years at the County Ground.

However, it was the following move to Bristol City where he really made his name for himself, and his second season at BS3 will go down in Robins folklore.

Aden Flint lit up Ashton Gate with rarely-seen prolific goalscoring attribute for a defender

Having been relegated from the Championship in 2012-13, the Robins signed Flint as a League One-ready centre-back, after he made 34 appearances in the competition for Swindon.

In his first season, Flint was a standout in a team that underperformed, finishing 12th despite high pre-season expectations. However, a strong finish under manager Steve Cotterill, with just one loss in their final 12 games, offered a glimpse of better times ahead.

Despite a knee dislocation forcing him to miss the conclusion of 2013-14, Flint returned to the side the following season as he played every minute of their title-winning campaign.

While Flint was solid at the back, it was his threat from set pieces that truly stood out, with the 6ft 6in centre-back consistently causing problems for opposition defences, whilst also being incredibly solid at the back.

Scoring an unbelievable 15 goals in all competitions, he finished as the second-top scorer for Cotterill's side, behind only EFL stalwart Aaron Wilbraham - a striker.

This, combined with the Robins conceding just 38 goals in the league, has cemented it as one of the greatest seasons for a centre-back in League One history - it's incredibly rare for defenders to get into double figures in goals for a season, but Flint went way beyond any particular expectations.

While the goal figures are one element of that stunning season, the key moments in which Flint scored only add to his brilliance and deserve special recognition.

Securing the EFL Trophy (Formerly known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy) in the same season as promotion, the defender bagged the opener in the final with a towering header above the Walsall defence.

For the Saddlers, it quickly became apparent that Flint was their nemesis, as two months later on the final day of the season, he bagged a hat-trick against the same opposition in an 8-2 win. This included a delightful finish, reminiscent of a composed striker.

However, it was three games earlier that he helped the Robins secure promotion, with his header against Bradford City putting the game beyond all doubt in a 6-0 win.

While Flint didn't replicate his goal-scoring numbers in the Championship, he remained a consistent threat in the air. Over the 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2017-18 seasons, he scored a solid 19 goals in 129 appearances, continuing to be a key presence in the attacking third.

This eventually earned him a £7 million move to Middlesbrough, closing the chapter on his Bristol City career, but it was a reminder of the hard work and progress he had achieved whilst in the West Country.

Speaking to the EFL in July of this year, Flint reflected on what was possibly the best season of his career, saying: “It was a good season for the football club but a decent season for me personally.

“Winning two trophies is brilliant but I scored 15 goals that year – the one goal at Wembley and a hat-trick in the final game in the league.

“I didn’t think I’d score 15 – it’s a little bit bizarre – but I’ve always been a goal-scoring defender, although I’ve slowed down recently over the last few years – I think people have cottoned on to it a little bit!

"It goes to the manager as well – I worked with Steve Cotterill for a few years and he did wonders for me.

“After that season, when Lee Johnson came in, he actually did start me up front a couple of times for Bristol City; I think I started three or four games as a striker and it worked in a couple of those games, to be fair.”

It is no surprise to see Flint speak this fondly of his time in League One with Bristol City.

Under Cotterill, he was a menace in both boxes and the feat he achieved in scoring 15 goals will be hard to replicate in the modern era of football - at least at such a competitive level.