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Career-Defining Football Positional Switches You Should Know

Seeing players switch from their preferred playing position is always a shocking revelation, but one football fans have learned to familiarize themselves with. The ever-changing and innovative world of football has required players and managers to continue to experiment with playing roles and trying out new ideas in positions and styles of play.

Multiple players at different levels have undertaken positional changes, for a myriad of reasons, which may include the team’s tactical construction, combating the strength of the opposition, bringing the best out of a player at the team’s disposal, and lastly as a reaction to either injury or squad composition.

Players sometimes reveal positions they played as children and some even in their formative days as professional footballers. In most cases, these roles are total opposites of the roles in which they have made a name for themselves. Infamously Gianluigi Buffon comes to mind when you think of players that have made these role switches. It remains surreal to imagine that one of the best goalkeepers in footballing history started out as a defender! This was until, according to uefa.com, his father eventually talked him into trying his luck between the sticks (and the rest as they say is history).

Professionals as much as the situation warrants love to be seen by their managers as very versatile as the game continues to evolve, with players willing to try out new positions mostly with the aim of getting increased playing time alongside helping the team improve their fortunes.

In this piece, we look at six players who have gone on to enjoy great success in new positions they tried out for their team.

Gareth Bale – Tottenham (From LB to RW)

In the summer of 2006, Tottenham signed the exciting full-back from Southampton after the 17-year-old enjoyed a blistering breakthrough season at St Mary’s. The Welsh international endured a testing introduction to life in the Premier League, playing 24 games without tasting victory, before being linked with a loan spell to Nottingham Forest. After much consideration, Bale turned down the move and decided to stay. 

Ironically, it was an injury that birthed and transformed Bale into the rampaging behemoth whose name struck fear into the hearts of defenders across the world for years up until his retirement in 2023.

After requiring knee surgery in 2009, the prolonged hiatus facilitated another player, Benoit Assou-Ekotto to become undisputed first-choice left-back. The move left Bale at a juncture. Although he had sporadically been played in a more attacking capacity, he was still recognised as a wing-back. Assou-Ekotto’s acquisition of the role left the then-20-year-old Bale in limbo, shorn of the position that he had maintained throughout his youth career. Then-Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, in response to the dilemma, pulled a masterstroke that is almost certainly the finest of his glittering career. Noting that Bale’s defensive susceptibility was not conducive to such a withdrawn role, and with a recognised left-back secure, Redknapp deployed Bale on the left wing. The move almost instantly yielded dividends as Bale won his first-ever Tottenham league game, against Burnley and his first as a starter, against Fulham, soon after. By the end of the season, Bale’s transformation into a natural winger was complete and Redknapp produced a wizard, as Tottenham qualified for the Champions League for the first time. The forward subsequently went on to clinch the award of the PFA Player of the Year twice and in the summer of 2013, the Welsh forward made a world-record £85.3m transfer move to Real Madrid, where he went on to win the UEFA Champions League five times.

Joelinton – Newcastle United (From CF to CM)

Arriving from Hoffenheim in the summer of 2019 for a club-record £40 million, the Brazilian looked lost at St James’ Park and he certainly wasn’t living us to the legendary ‘number 9’ Newcastle shirt worn by the likes of Jackie Milburn, Andy Cole and Premier league all-time goalscorer Alan Shearer. 

But all of that changed on November 30th, 2021, when Newcastle drew 1-1 with Norwich in the Premier League. Joelinton, who had scored just seven goals in 87 appearances for Newcastle, and seemingly had his days at the club numbered, experienced a career u-turn upon the arrival of Eddie Howe, who has remarkably transformed the Brazilian into a midfielder. Howe decided to move Joelinton out of the firing line and into midfield in the early days of his reign, and he has reaped the benefits. The Brazilian’s physical attributes also contributed to his role change. His work-rate and ability to drop in deep to protect his backline but also trying to be a presence in the final third as well has so far contributed to Newcastle’s rise.

Vincent Kompany – Manchester City (From DM to CB)

During his player career, the Belgian arrived at Manchester City in 2008 from Hamburg as a promising defensive midfielder for a fee in the region of £6 million – a price tag that soon became a bargain. In the following season, Roberto Mancini decided, upon his arrival in 2009, to experiment with the versatile performer at the heart of his defence. Kompany went from strength to strength, becoming captain and leading the club to their first Premier League title in 2012. At the age of 26, Kompany was mentioned as possibly the greatest defender of the modern era in England, possessing every attribute needed to thrive and provide further success for the Citizens. Despite suffering from injuries in the later part of his career, Kompany stood out as a top performer when he took to the pitch and went on to guide Manchester City to 4 Premier League titles, along with 4 League Cup and the FA Cup before departing in the summer of 2019.

Ashley Young – Manchester United (RW to RB)

When Ashley Young signed for Manchester United in the summer of 2011, many United fans were excited at the prospect of acquiring the services of one of England’s most exciting wingers. Little did they know they had signed a long-term, highly versatile fullback. His first three years saw him play on the right-wing for Manchester United, until the club’s pre-season tour of the USA in 2014, where coach Louis Van Gaal deployed him as a wingback so as to suit his 3-5-2 system. Under subsequent gaffers – Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Young continued to feature as a fullback.

The English international has since adjusted to life as a fullback and his move to Italy further bolsters this point, as he was an instrumental figure for Antonio Conte’s title-winning Inter side, where he made over 59 appearances as a wingback. Moving back to England and joining Aston Villa in July 2021, Young has since played over 51 times as a fullback for Unai Emery’s team.

Antonio Valencia – Manchester United (From LW to RB)

In 2017, Jose Mourinho told MUTV: “I just think he (Antonio Valencia) is the best right-back you can have. There is no better right-back in football.” Strong praise from ‘The Special One’ as he is fondly called, but who knows who would have played right-back during his tenure had Louis Van Gaal had not made the Ecuadorian a fullback.

Initially signed as the replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, Valencia flourished under Sir Alex Ferguson. However, as the years went by and United added more depth (largely in attack), the former Wigan star had to fill in at right-back on occasions. Fast forward to 2014, Valencia’s strength and pace meant that he was one of the first names on the team sheet in defence for Dutch Coach Louis Van Gaal, who, in effect, extended his time playing at Old Trafford remarkably. Valencia enjoyed an illustrious career at Manchester United, making over 300 league appearances and winning 6 major trophies with the Red Devils, including 2 Premier League trophies.

Oihan Sancet – Athletic Club (From CF to CM)

Another youngster who has recently been making headlines at the Basque club and is highly regarded in Spain as having a massive future in football.

Sancet made his debut under Gaizka Garitano in a 1-0 victory over FC Barcelona back in April 2019. Fast forward almost four years and the 23-year-old is a more significant feature than he was under Coach Marcelino Toral. 

With the appointment of head coach Ernesto Valverde, came a role change for the young forward who was in line to replace aging forward Raul Garcia. 

Though a player with the instinct of a natural goalscorer, Sancet can play a number of different positions other than as a centre forward, which makes him rather versatile for managers. Under Marcelino, he has primarily been used as a second striker, in place of the aging Raúl García, and plays alongside the speedster Inaki Williams which has made for a formidable pairing. Now under current coach Valverde, the youngster, who just signed a contract until 2032, has found expression as a central midfielder. He is mostly deployed in a two-man pivot system alongside Ander Herrera or Dani Garcia. His role change so far has been deemed by many to be one of the best things to happen to the San Mames side.

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