The centre-defensive midfield position has become one of the most crucial positions on the football field. Matches nowadays are often decided by the performance of the defensive midfielder due to his ability to block the opposition from penetrating his defense.
They are valued much more in modern football not just for their defensive display, but also for their ball retention and ability to dictate the game.
Modern day defensive midfielders are tactically sound, are quick in changing the momentum in favour of their teams and have the ability to track back to help their defense during the opposition’s counter-attacks. The role has become more attack-minded and more demanding.
In the past, we have seen players like Roy Keane, Patrick Viera and Ronald Koeman showing their aggressive defensive mindset in crucial games in the centre-defensive midfield position. This attitude helped their clubs to win games in tough situations.
The role of a defensive midfielder has gained quite a good prestige in today’s times.
N’Golo Kante is arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world right now. He is a tough tackler who is quite adept in breaking the opposition’s counter-attacks due to his tremendous amount of pace. He is also an extremely talented presser who likes to venture forward, and is proficient in maintaining possession for his side.
Kante was one of the key players in France’s 2018 FIFA World Cup triumph. He intercepted the ball a record 20 times in the World Cup. He has become one of the star players for Chelsea this season. The new Chelsea manager Sarri has given him more freedom to venture forward and display his attacking skills to the world.
He also has the rare ability due to his pace to come back and help the defenders during the opposition’s counter-attacks. Kante has become a force to be reckoned with in the centre defensive midfield position.