The 5 Best Box to Box Midfielders in the World - Ranked
Some tactical roles with their fancy Italian names require several hours of research to understand completely. Then there are others that do exactly what it says on the tin.
'Box to box midfielder' is a textbook example.
Even the most casual of football followers could have a stab at explaining what this type of player gets up on the pitch.
In fact, just to prove this point I'll ask my girlfriend what she reckons it means right now - the same woman who frequently says my obsession with the beautiful game is the worst aspect of my personality.
Okay, she threw a bottle at me...but the point still stands.
Box to box midfielders are all-rounders with a propensity for zipping around the pitch, helping out their teammates in whatever way they can. Here are five of the very best of these type of footballer in the world right now.
5. Saul Niguez
In a team often unfairly branded a bunch of shithouses, Saul Niguez stands out due to his ability to excel in all the areas required for a modern midfielder.
The Spaniard's tireless work rate is typical of someone who has developed under Diego Simeone's tutelage, while his ability to find space between the lines is even more impressive.
Though his loyalty to Atletico Madrid has not wavered so far you have to think that a man of his considerable talent is unlikely to stay at the Wanda Metropolitano forever, particularly with the likes of Manchester United sniffing around.
Read Jude Summerfield's profile of Saul Niguez here.
4. Jordan Henderson
Jordan Henderson has had an interesting career. Breaking through as an industrious winger at Sunderland at the turn of the last decade, he has been on a mission to prove his doubters wrong ever since he earned a big money move to Liverpool in 2011.
It's not always been plain sailing for the now Reds captain but you'd struggle to find any sane person who doesn't rate the 29-year-old these days.
The 2019/2020 season has probably been his best campaign to date. Henderson has added more penetrative passing and brave bursts forward from midfield this term and is in with a real shot of scooping the PFA Player of the Year award.
Read Robbie Walls' profile of Jordan Henderson here.
3. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
Lazio are one of the most dynamic, exciting teams in the world and a big reason for this is the Serbian who sits at the heart of the action.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is tall and powerful but don't let this fool you into thinking that he is not an elegant, technically gifted player as well.
Far from being an unsophisticated midfield destroyer the 25-year-old is blessed with a box of tricks to humiliate defenders and an impressive passing range. Lazio will be clinging onto their talisman for dear life this summer - just like they have had to do during the last few transfer windows.
Read Max Cooper's profile of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic here.
2. Paul Pogba
He hasn't always had the chance to show it during his second spell at Manchester United, but Paul Pogba is a ludicrously complete midfielder.
He is just as comfortable spraying a 60-yard cross-field pass as he is charging forward as opposition players bounce off of him as though he's protected by a powerful forcefield.
The prospect of him lining up alongside Bruno Fernandes when the Premier League returns later this month is an exciting one. Could it been the midfield pairing that finally catapults United out of their post-Ferguson slump?
Read Adam Aladay's profile of Paul Pogba here.
1. Kevin De Bruyne
The word 'genius' gets tossed about a lot these days but it is an apt way to describe Kevin De Bruyne
The Belgian is the most complete midfielder of his generation and is capable of feats that most players require an Xbox and a copy of FIFA to replicate.
A goal-scorer, leader and creative mastermind, De Bruyne would improve every team in the world, which is bad news for Manchester City in the wake of their Champions League ban.
Read Ali Rampling's profile of Kevin De Bruyne here.