The Best Attacking Midfielders To Ever Play Soccer
Attacking midfielders can exude elegance, guile and craft, making the game of soccer a joy to watch. Usually providing cutting passes and linking the attack with the rest of the team, the attacking midfielder must possess skills and intelligence as well as an eye for goal.
Providing the telling through balls, clever touches and ability on the ball to carve open opposition defences, the attacking midfielder is often the most gifted footballer on the pitch. Traditionally, attacking midfielders will also possess a great shot and can often rival the forwards in the goalscoring charts.
Attacking midfielders can be many types of different players, with some being primarily skilful like Darren Fletcher, while others rely on speed of thought like Barry Venison. The attacking midfielder is difficult to mark as he makes dynamic runs and floats around the pitch like a carrier bag in the canal.
The best attacking midfielders of the last thirty years have all excelled on the biggest stage of all - the FIFA World Cup. Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne rose to international fame with some exhilarating performances for England at Italia '90.
Gazza's skill, dribbling and goal-creation took his country to the brink of the final, before a booking would have ruled him out. As the realisation hit him, Gascoigne cried as the world watched. His tears and his abilities made him a star, as England sadly lost in a penalty shoot-out to West Germany.
Gascoigne showed so much promise, and with England's expectations came bitter disappointment. He suffered horrific injuries and his career suffered in much the same way. He rekindled some of the flame at Euro '96 with one of the best goals of the tournament against Scotland, before another semi-final shoot out defeat at the hands of Germany.
Although Gascoigne possessed skill of such a high standard, his ability is dwarfed by the Frenchman Zinedine Zidane. A genius with a football, Zidane would win every trophy in the game and amazingly become an international hero with his last soccer action - headbutting the annoying Marco Materazzi.
Zidane played at the very highest level, and always looked a different class to everybody else. He possessed every skill needed to be a great footballer, although his temperament was somewhat questionable as shown in the FIFA World Cup Final 2006.
Zidane's honours include three UEFA Champions League finals (with a solitary victory), two Serie A titles, one La Liga title, various cups in France, Italy and Spain as well as the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship. Zidane has also won FIFA World Player of the Year on three occasions and been transferred for a world-record 76 million euros.
The heir to Zidane's throne, and with the possibility of being even better, is the AC Milan and Brazil player Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, known as Kaka. At the age of 26, Kaka has already won the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League and various other cups and league titles.
Kaka is very similar to Zidane in his ability to pick out a defence-splitting pass, as well beat players with speed and trickery. Kaka has currently played 58 times for Brazil scoring an impressive 22 goals. His club football has seen him play for Sao Paulo and AC Milan, while a host of clubs have attempted to tempt him away with multi-million pound offers.
Attacking midfielders of the likes of Gascoigne, Zidane and Kaka make the game of soccer what it is. Their skill and passion for the game are paramount to their teams' ability to score goals and win games. As part of the midfield unit they help make the ball move fluently from defence to attack and make the game a feast for the supporters' eyes.
Related Tags: football, soccer, world cup, association football, fantasy football, dream team, fa cup, midfield
Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in airport parking, Stansted parking and Pink Elephant Stansted.
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Canadiens Early Season Struggles
Inconsistency has reared its ugly head once again. After a shutout loss to the lowly New Jersey Devi - Mens Magazine in the Toronto Market
Magazines are wonderful things. They are able to explore their particular area of interest in more d - They Won the Lottery But Then Lost it All
We all dream about winning the lottery and every time we watch those balls spin we think about what - Manchester City Imploding
Life changed for Manchester City fans the minute their club was taken over by the ultra wealthy Oil - Different Types of Sports Water Bottle
If you are an athlete and there is a competition the next day, there are a lot of things to prepare. - Poker Supplies a Person Needs to Play
There are a lot of people all over the world that enjoy playing poker on a regular basis. There are - Data on NCAA Football 11 (XBox)
EA Sports has always been the pinnacle for sports video games. The Madden franchise for NFL football - World Golf Amateur Team Championship 2012
Golf is said to be the game of nobles. Over a period of time, the game has developed into a craze fo - Will "The Decision" Yield the Result? Lakers, Heat Seen as Likely Finalists
By far the biggest moment in the NBA offseason was the hour-long ESPN special in which LeBron James - The Evolution of the Game: Table Tennis
Table tennis was probably derived from the game "Royal Tennis," a popular diversion during medieval
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Rainbow, Brown And Brook Trout
Maine fishing has Rainbow, Brown, and Brook trout. Trout are an important part of fishing tradition. - Gymnastics Floor Music
Over the last decade or two, gymnastics as a sport has undergone considerable changes in the way it - Texas Holdem Blinds - Understanding Blinds In Texas Hold'em Poker
Posting blinds is a very important aspect of the betting structure of Texas Hold'em poker. It keeps - Indoor Mobility Scooters
Mobility scooters exclusively provide assistance to physically disabled people, who don't necessaril - Texas Holdem Tournament - Learn How To Run A Texas Hold'em Tournament
Texas Hold'em is a popular game, so next time you consider hosting a social function at your house w - The Nfl Channel And The Controversy Surrounding It
If you watch TV, and especially if you are a loyal spectator of the NFL Channel, you might have hear - Texas Holdem - How To Become Better At Texas Hold'em Poker
If you know the rules, if you know the game, if you know the odds, chances are you'll do well at pok - Essential Boxing Equipment For Every Boxer
When you are training to become a boxer there are a few very important pieces of boxing equipment th - Some Advice On How To Stay Motivated To Run
Staying Motivated to Run Do you have a hard time staying motivated to run? There are a lot of thing - NCAA: Three Good Coaches
There are coaches in each and every type of sport out there, and many of them are good at what they