5 most versatile players in world football right now (2021)
Utility players are starting to become a rarity these days. With a cap on the number of substitutes being raised in recent times, managers prefer players who are specialists in certain roles.
But ask managers who have had to lead injury-stricken teams through the season, and you'll hear differently. In any environment, versatile players who can play in a number of positions remain an asset to any club.
Players who can play in a number of positions also enable the manager to be tactically flexible and thus facilitate better in-game management.
For example, players like Wayne Rooney could play anywhere in midfield and in any position across the frontline and this enabled Sir Alex Ferguson to accommodate several big players in his squad as he could always depend on Rooney to switch positions and play to the strengths of the personnel around him.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the most versatile players in world football right now.
#5 Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Joshua Kimmich has been hailed as being world-class in two positions. Kimmich initially broke on to the scene as a promising defensive midfielder but under Pep Guardiola, Kimmich transitioned from midfield to defence and became a huge hit at right-back.
In a 2017 article on the Bundesliga website, Joshua Kimmich was described as a "veritable Swiss Army knife of a player." Kimmich's work-rate, technical prowess and ability to use brute force have all contributed to him becoming the player he is now.
Under Hans-Dieter Flick, Joshua Kimmich has returned to midfield and is absolutely acing it in the role of a holding midfielder. Kimmich has scored four goals and provided 14 assists in 31 appearances for Bayern Munich across the Bundesliga and Champions League this season.
#4 David Alaba (Bayern Munich)
David Alaba is an exceptional footballer. He earned praise for his pace, work-rate and dynamism during his early days at Bayern Munich when he played at left-back. But Alaba has mostly been fielded as a creative playmaker for the Austrian national side.
Bayern Munich tapped into his versatility and though he primarily plays at centre-back these days, it is not rare to see him play in midfield. Alaba can play as a defensive midfielder or as an attacking one. He can also play as a winger but we haven't seen a lot of that lately.
Like all the players on this list, it is David Alaba's technical proficiency that enables him to play in a multitude of positions. There is no doubt that Bayern Munich will miss him dearly once he leaves the club this summer as a free-agent.