Top 7 Goal-scoring Defenders in the World right now
The modern game of football has embraced Cruyff’s concept of Total Football like never before. Strikers don’t just score, they create goals and they defend when required. Similarly defenders don’t just defend now a days, they initiate attacks and are also expected to contribute in front of the goal.
Football right now is a tremendously free flowing phenomenon, and as such every one in the team is expected to chip in with the goals that win the game. This has led to the concept of the attacking full backs and also the goal scoring defenders.
Defenders are no longer clumsy players who are just expected to tackle and stop the ball from reaching the back of the goal. The modern day defenders are fantastic ball players themselves, who nurture a desire to score goals. As such, they are regular threats from set pieces, they are expected and trained to score from such situations.
When a team wins a free kick in front of the box, it is no longer the duty of just the creative players, some modern day defenders are fabulous free kick takers themselves. Dribbles, one touches passes, step overs, defenders now-a-days have equipped themselves like never before and goal scoring has become an essential part of their skills now.
The world of football at present is bless with some astonishing goal scoring defenders and today, we take a look at 7 of the best goal scoring defenders right now.
Honorary mentions – Leighton Baines, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Branislav Ivanovic, Loic Perrin, Oscar de Marcos, Seamus Coleman
#7 Chris Smalling (England , Manchester United)
#Career Goals – 19
It is hard to believe that after all the defensive revamp at Manchester United, Chris Smalling still is very much in Mourinho’s plans. The English defender joined Manchester United from Fulham and has since scored in every season but 2012/13. He scored 4 in the 2014/15 season, which has been his best return.
The following two seasons, he scored 2 goals each. Last season saw another 4 goal haul, all of which were in the Premier League. But it is also the timing of his goals that are important. Last season, he scored crucial away goals at Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and that special finish at Manchester City to complete the comeback.
Even though he is clumsy in defense and still looks like he has a mistake in him, Smalling comes alive during set pieces. It is not just that he is good with his headers, he also has exceptional intuitions of a poacher. His first touch and control in the opposition half is also quite good, which means he also scores with his feet, not just his head.
Smalling already has 1 goal from 3 games this season, scoring the winning goal at Watford, where he showed some fine chest control and finished with a first time volley that would make most strikers proud. No wonder the young man Sir Alex bought 8 years ago is still going strong at United.