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Since football is ultimately about scoring goals, it's the strikers that grab the limelight on a consistent basis. Goalscoring is the glamourous part of the beautiful game but it's important to remember that football is a team sport. For a system to function properly, efficiency is perhaps even more important than flair.
More often than not, football games are won in midfield. It's the battles that happen at the center of the pitch that dictate the flow of a game. A team that has efficient and hard-working midfielders will always find it easy to control the game and its tempo.
Even among midfielders, fans tend to flock around those ones with a knack for pulling off the sensational. However, there are also midfielders who fly under the radar because they go about their business with ease.
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It is true that some midfielders don't get the credit they deserve because they are so good at keeping things ticking in midfield that it almost looks like clockwork.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five world class midfielders who don't get the attention they deserve.
#5 Fabian Ruiz (Spain/Napoli)
Spanish midfielder Fabian Ruiz has established himself as one of the best midfielders in Serie A. The left-footed central midfielder is as tactically intelligent as he is technically proficient. This enables him to play in a number of roles in midfield and can fit into any system as well.
This enables Napoli to be tactically flexible and it facilitates better in-game management as well. Ruiz stands out for his vision and passing range. His dribbling skills are also top notch and it is difficult to shake the 25-year-old off the ball.
In addition to all that, Ruiz can score some absolute screamers from range. He is currently one of the best in the business when it comes to testing the goalkeeper from range. Ruiz has scored five goals and provided three assists in 18 appearances across all competitions for the Partenopei this term.
He is inarguably one of the most underrated midfielders in the game right now.
#4 Marcelo Brozovic (Croatia/Inter Milan)
Marcelo Brozovic made 33 appearances in the 2020-21 Serie A season as Inter Milan went on to win the Scudetto after a gap of 11 years. The Croatian international has been a stalwart in midfield for the Nerazzurri ever since joining the club in 2015.
Brozovic has been likened to Frank Lampard. Like the Englishman, Brozovic is a versatile player who can play in a number of roles in the center of the park but excels as a box-to-box midfielder.
Brozovic is excellent with his tackling and is a hard worker. It often seems as though he never stops running. He also packs an excellent passing rage in his arsenal and can play the role of a deep-lying playmaker with aplomb.
#3 Mateo Kovacic (Croatia/Chelsea)
It's hard to nail down a starting berth in a midfield that's as talented and deep as Chelsea's. It's even harder to stand out among the rest. But Mateo Kovacic has been able to accomplish exactly that this season. The Croatian international has simply been one of the best midfielders in the Premier League this term.
Not only is he willing to put in a shift every time he is on the pitch, but he is also a wonderful technician. Kovacic can run rings around the opposition thanks to his deft touches and close control. He also has a great passing range and the vision to match it.
The 27-year-old has been a difference maker for Chelsea so far this term. He has scored one goal and provided five assists from central midfield in nine Premier League appearances. Kovacic is easily one of the most underrated midfielders on the planet right now.
#2 Jordan Henderson (England/Liverpool)
Jordan Henderson has been dismissed plenty of times in his career as not being 'easy on the eye' or as being 'too pragmatic'. But to give credit where it's due, Jordan Henderson has been one of the best midfielders in the English top-flight over the past few years.
Henderson has been extremely effective in Jurgen Klopp's gegenpressing system. His spatial awareness and tactical acumen enables him to cut passing lanes and consistently win back possession. Henderson's passing has also become exemplary in recent times.
He is often tasked with playing well weighted through passes into the paths of Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane. Not only has he been excellent at executing some absolutely stunning passes this term but he has also scored some peaches.
Henderson is a great striker of the ball and can go hell for leather from range with either foot. The 31-year-old has scored three goals and provided four assists in 13 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool so far this season.
#1 Leon Goretzka (Germany/Bayern Munich)
Leon Goretzka was already one of the most talented young midfielders in Germany when Bayern Munich signed him in 2018. Over the course of the last three years, he has undergone a massive transformation in all departments.
Goretzka has bulked up and is one of the strongest central midfielders on the planet right now. He can play in a variety of positions across midfield and is the perfect foil for Joshua Kimmich.
Like most technically astute central midfielders, Goretzka possesses great ball control and has a great knack for picking out his teammates in space. He can strike some thunderbolts from range and his aerial ability is an underrated part of his game.
Goretzka can score some wonderful headers and is a threat from set-pieces. His versatility, technical prowess and tactical intelligence have earned him comparisons to the likes of Michael Ballack and Lothar Matthaus.
Goretzka has scored two goals and provided two assists in 17 appearances for Bayern Munich so far this season.
