5 players who improved greatly after switching positions

5 players who improved greatly after switching positions

Lionel Messi
In his earlier days, the ‘Little Magician’ was mainly deployed from the right flank. With changes in personnel and the evolution of Barcelona at the time, he was moved into a ‘false 9’ position in which he thrived.

He has even reinvented himself further to play as a deeper playmaker, while still not easing up on his relentless goalscoring. The central move was a genius move by Pep Guardiola and Messi has never looked back since, having not played as a traditional winger in years.

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Thierry Henry

When Henry signed for Arsenal, he was a winger who had struggled to find his feet at Juventus. His move to play as a central striker for the Gunners allowed him to reach his full potential.

Carlo Ancelotti once told Football Italia: “My mistakes? I did not want Baggio at Parma and then at Juventus I did not notice that Henry was not a winger.”Coming from one of the greatest managers of all time, it speaks volumes to how beneficial the change was. 174 league goals during his time in London is a good indicator if you’re still not convinced.
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Cristiano Ronaldo

A skilful winger with bags of potential in 2003 went on to become one of the greatest goalscoring strikers the game has ever seen, if not the best. He has, after all, scored more international goals than any other player since 2000.

Pace can leave a player as they age, but Ronaldo had such intelligence and hunger to his game that the move from the left wing to the middle was as seamless as possible. League titles, international titles and European titles all came after the switch with Ronaldo being the main man at all times – just as he likes.
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Philipp Lahm

The Bayern Munich legend spent the majority of his career as a right-sided full-back before evolving towards the twilight of his career. Winning the 2014 World Cup with Germany, he controlled the game from the hub of the midfield.

He may not have been as quick as he previously was but the key to the change in role was his composure and ability to keep the ball no matter what. That he never got a red card over the course of his career tells you all you need to know about his quality.
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Ryan Giggs

A 24-year spell at the same club was probably always going to result in change eventually. The Welshman burst onto the scene with blistering displays on the wing for Man Utd and won every major honour he could.

The move was made in his later years, as with Lahm, due to the vision and intelligence he possessed. That once rapid, hungry winger became a composed dictator of play in the centre of the park in the 2010s. In Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season in charge, Giggs often started as a central midfielder, playing 22 times as they won the Premier League.