In the 2018 World Cup group stage match against South Korea, Manuel Neuer, a goalkeeper, turned himself into an extra midfielder to push for a German goal. We have also seen goalkeepers doing the unthinkable in recent years. All these examples go on to prove that a footballer’s dedicated position is a myth a player is capable of playing in any position if he is willing to change his game and let his skills be honed.

Young became so adept at his newly acquired role that Inter Milan went for the Englishman’s services to bolster their defence. Ashley Young likewise, a left-wing forward for Aston Villa, turned into a left-back for the Old Trafford club. Deploy him as a central midfielder, and you get the feeling that a player like him, with his physical presence, should be moving around more often on the pitch.Īntonio Valencia, who played as an attacking winger at Wigan Athletic, became a right-back for Manchester United. Use him as a box-to-box player, you get the sense that he could be better deployed as a holding midfielder dictating play with his wide array of passes. Put him in a defensive midfield position, and it feels as if his best attributes are under-utilised. It is not yet known which is the Frenchman’s most favourable position in the pitch. Let us also take the example of Paul Pogba. Throughout his career, the Spanish midfielder had to accommodate his role and playing style because Los Blancos brought in a bevvy of marquee midfielders like Zinedine Zidane, Claude Makelele and Kaka. In this regard, Real Madrid’s Guti Hernandez comes to mind.

Their flexibility to adapt to various positions meant that they could never fully develop their game in any one part of the pitch. Some players have suffered because of their versatility. Although there are benefits to being a versatile player, it also comes with some risks.

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