In football, the position of players on the pitch is one of the most important structural aspects of a team, allowing players to fluidly move and play in unison.
Furthermore, individual ‘playing positions’ dictate how a player feels they should act on the pitch.
For instance, as a striker, you are expected to stay up top and be ready to recieve passes in the final third, getting in position to shoot at the goal.
Midfielders typically run the pitch, and tie the defense and attack together.
Meanwhile defenders traditionally stay at the back, and provide support for the goalkeeper.
Ordinarily, certain skillsets determine the position of a player, such as speed, strength, shooting ability, agility and passing range. Not to mention a plethora of other characteristics that mould individuals to a position on the pitch.
So with that being said, lets look at some instances where the rulebooks have been ripped up, and players have seemingly undergone complete transformations with regard to how and where they play on the pitch.
1. Gareth Bale, Left-Back -> Right-Winger
Perhaps one of the most well known instances of a footballer changing positions, Ex-Wales and Real Madrid Superstar, Gareth Bale, started as a left back, and eventually became a right winger. A crazy positional evolution.
Performances like his one for Tottenham against Inter Milan really put a spotlight on his attacking talents, and soon the Welshman would become one of the best players in the world.
One Third of the iconic BBC front three (Bale, Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo), this position change turned out to be an absolute masterstroke.
2. Joelinton, Striker -> Centre-Midfielder
A Brazilian prodigy making a name for himself in Germany, Joelinton started his career as a big and physical striker. Touted as one of the best young talents at the time, Newcastle snapped him up with the hope that he would become a goal-scoring machine for them.
Instead, things didn’t work out well at all, and Joelinton’s goal-scoring form was abysmal. Steve Bruce took the radical decision to transform him into a midfielder, and since then, he has become a dominant player in his own right, and an integral part of the Toon side.
Contributing to cup success just tops it off and he continues to shine in the Premier League.
3. Jorge Campos, Goalkeeper + Striker
[photo credit to FourFourTwo.com]
JORGE CAMPOS PLAYED AS A GOALKEEPER AND A STRIKER! WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO SAY?
The Mexican star was a phenomenal talent, and a hero at both ends of the pitch.
