Football is built around the best central midfielders. You know how the old cliches go: centre-forwards who win you games and defences win you leagues… yet there is no denying the impact of the men in the middle of the park.
There are all kinds of different central midfielders, from box-to-box midfielders to deep-lying playmakers. In an area of increased physicality and more football than ever, however, the competition to be the best has never been this strong.
