Michał Sławomir Helik

Michał Helik was named Defender of the Season in the Ekstraklasa for 2017–18, his first year at KS Cracovia. He had arrived from Ruch Chorzów in July 2017, the club where he began in the youth academy, made his senior debut in 2013 and played 46 league games. At Cracovia he made 88 league appearances and scored nine goals. The Polish Cup followed in 2019–20.

In September 2020 he moved to Barnsley. The fee was not disclosed; it was reported at around €800,000. He went straight into the starting line-up and played 81 league games, scoring six goals. Barnsley's supporters voted him Player of the Season for 2020–21, and in February 2021 he won the Championship Player of the Month award from the FLW Fans.

Huddersfield Town were his next club, and it was there that his goalscoring was at its highest: 13 goals in 94 league appearances. He won the club's Hargreaves Memorial Player of the Year award in 2022–23 and again in 2023–24. Huddersfield were relegated in 2024, and Helik stayed until January 2025.

On 17 January 2025 he signed for Oxford United on a two-and-a-half-year contract running to June 2027. The fee was not disclosed, and his contract carries a release clause reported at €750,000.

For Poland he made his debut on 25 March 2021 in a World Cup qualifier against Hungary. He was in the squad for UEFA Euro 2020 but did not play at the tournament.