From number 10 to number 4 ! As a direct consequence of the advent of positional play, and the widespread use of passing out from the back, central defenders have now replaced playmakers in the rankings of players who touch the ball the most. During the program "The Overlap", former Manchester United captain Gary Neville noted that in the Premier League, until the late 2000s, the five players who touched the ball the most were Cesc Fabregas, Paul Scholes, Xabi Alonso, Gilberto Silva and Franck Lampard. During the 2024/2025 season, only one midfielder, the Portuguese Bruno Fernandes appeared in this ranking. Currently Virgil Van Dijk, Josko Gvardiol, Levi Colwill and William Saliba, all central defenders who are adept with the ball, top this list in England. This interesting statistic led the English consultant to ask the following question: "Should a coach apply his ideas even if it means going against the characteristics of his players?" On John Obi Mikel's podcast "The Obi One", Carlo Ancelotti, the Real Madrid coach, answered this question with an example: "At Everton, we had a fantastic goalkeeper to hit the ball very long, and a fantastic striker to receive such a pass. I told my team to give the ball to Pickford so he will send it to Calvert-Lewin. You need to adapt the playing style to the characteristics of your players ". Words from a coach who has won five champions leagues !
Brief
In the 2024/2025 season, central defenders Virgil Van Dijk and William Saliba were among the five players who touched the most balls in the Premier League / ©Icon Sport