Key CHANGE that makes Ryan Gravenberch the world’s BEST DM | OneFootball

One of the more stark developments in modern football is the essentiality of the defensive midfielder.

The role has undoubtedly been important throughout football history. The position would typically employ what has come to be known as a ‘destroyer’, someone tenacious in their tackling and able to break up an opposition’s attack with ease, who could advance the ball to a ‘deep-lying playmaker’ who builds attacks from the position with their passing ability.

Players who could do both were rare and have entered the pantheon of football history - Frank Rijkaard, Patrick Vieira, Clarence Seedorf. Without players with this exceptional ability teams would have to deploy two players who filled the role separately - think Gattuso winning the ball for Pirlo, Makelele winning it for Zidane, Keane winning it for Scholes.