WITH Transformers One hitting UK cinemas today, what better time is there to look at five football players who have ‘transformed’ from one position on the pitch to another.
Many players play one position for their whole career and master it, but some decide they want a change and it sometimes pays off massively
5. Declan Rice
The now midfielder not only transformed positions, but his nation as well as he made the switch from Irish to English.
Originally, he was a centre back for West Ham but once he made the switch to defensive midfield, there was no going back.
He took the league by storm after he changed position in the 18/19 season and then in 2023, he earned himself an £105 million move to Arsenal.
4. Bukayo Saka– the second Arsenal player on this list has been considered a star boy for some time now but he really earned it when he transformed from left back to right winger.
He is like many modern wingers as he cuts inside onto his left foot but he can also find a cross too. he has seven assists and two goals in the first seven league games this season.
His switch was a lot more ambitious than Declan Rice’s as he changed sides and went from defence to attack whereas Rice only transitioned from defence to defensive midfield.
3. Wayne Rooney– Manchester United’s all time leading goalscorer played most of his football up front, but when his legs started to go, and Dutch striker Robin van Persie joined, he dropped back to midfield.
He became someone who could link everything together nicely and could pick out a pass from anywhere on the pitch.
He went on to play for Everton, DC United and Derby and for all three of those teams, he played a deeper role dictating the play.
2. Joelinton– The Brazilian was originally signed by Newcastle as a striker but things didn’t work out as planned for him and he couldn’t get consistent game time.
He completely reformed his game when he changed to a midfielder and now is one of Newcastles most important players.
As a centre midfielder, he uses his physical presence and high work rates to bring the Newcastle team together and is almost always picked by Eddie Howe
1. Gareth Bale– He is arguably the greatest Welsh player of all time but he might not have been remembered if he hadn’t changed from a full back to a forward.
He started out at left back for Southampton, signed for Tottenham Hotspur and then in 2009, Harry Redknapp made the decision to transform him into one of the best wingers in the world.
He went on to win five champions leagues, not with Spurs but with Real Madrid, and three La Liga titles, also playing a huge part in Wales Euro 2016 run which ended in the semi finals.
These five players would all make brilliant additions to Optimus Primes Autobot team and im sure these players would all want Optimus Prime to join their teams too.
