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Wingers are often the most exciting players to watch on a football pitch. Granted the freedom of the flanks, they are tasked with finding space and moving the ball into dangerous areas. They are required to have a skillset replete with pace, trickery and the ability to whip in crosses.
The role of a winger has changed over time
There are mainly two types of wingers. One is the old fashioned kind that bombs past full-backs and whips in crosses from near the byline. The other is the inverted winger who likes to cut in from his wing and attack the box.
They look to dribble past defenders and weave intricate passes inside the final third or curl the ball into the top bin. Not all football teams use out-and-out wingers to progress down the flanks. Some systems use wing-backs who have to be good at both attacking and defending.
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That being said, there is no shortage of world-class wingers in the world of football right now. Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best left-wingers from the 2021-22 season.
#5 Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Things were looking rather gloomy for Manchester City's Raheem Sterling in the opening stages of the 2021-22 season. Jack Grealish's arrival in the summer caused Sterling to fall down the pecking order.
Up until this season, Sterling had been a mainstay in Manchester City's starting lineup. He had been one of their most potent attacking weapons since joining the club in 2015.
But in recent weeks, Sterling has earned his place back in the starting XI. Jack Grealish has not exactly hit the ground running at the Etihad. As a result, Sterling was afforded a look-in and he has grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
In 19 appearances across all competitions this term, Sterling has scored four goals and provided three assists. He has only started 10 of those games and has been in great form in recent weeks.
#4 Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli)
Lorenzo Insigne can be described as an archetypal inverted winger. The technically proficient Italian possesses a great burst of pace and has an array of tricks in his armory. The 30-year-old loves to cut in from the left wing and drop curlers into the top bin, which is something he has become excellent at.
Insigne has been a standout performer for Napoli in recent years and his form has been crucial to Napoli sitting at the top of the Serie A table. Insigne has scored five goals and provided six assists in 17 appearances across all competitions this term. He looks set to have yet another excellent season with the Partenopei.
#3 Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Sadio Mane has been sensational for Liverpool in the Jurgen Klopp era. However, he had a rather underwhelming 2020-21 campaign by his own lofty standards. Mane seemed to have lost his sharpness in front of goal and he looked off-pace at times as well.
But the Senegalese international has proved this season that form is temporary while class is permanent. Mane looks to be returning to his best, at least in terms of goalscoring. While Mohamed Salah has played some of the best football of his career this campaign, Mane has provided him with ample support.
The 29-year-old has scored nine goals and provided one assist in 19 appearances across all competitions so far this term. Liverpool have two marauding full-backs in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.
They are also effectively the primary playmakers in the side and thus Salah and Mane's main duty is to score goals. This is something the duo have done with aplomb so far this season.
#2 Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich)
Leroy Sane is yet another player who didn't exactly hit the heights that were expected of him in the 2020-21 season. Don't get us wrong, he still had his moments and was important to Bayern Munich. He scored 10 goals and provided 12 assists in 44 appearances across all competitions for the Bavarians last term.
But the German international has shown exactly what he is capable of this season. He has been in sublime form and has been tearing it up for Bayern Munich in the first half of the 2021-22 campaign.
Sane has been so good this term that he is close to matching his numbers from last season already. He has already scored nine goals and provided 10 assists in 21 appearances across all competitions.
Sane has already produced some wonderful performances in the Champions League against Benfica, Barcelona and Dynamo Kiev. His blistering pace and presence of mind inside the final third tied with his technical ability make him a nightmare to defend against.
#1 Vinicus Jr. (Real Madrid)
There has been a lingering doubt in the minds of Real Madrid fans as to whether or not Vinicius Jr. will flourish into something beyond a flashy winger. The Brazilian has been on a man on a mission this term and has shown us that he is a very serious footballer.
Vinicius Jr. has taken his game up a couple of notches this season, with his finishing in particular undergoing a massive transformation. The 21-year-old has been an electric presence down the left wing for Real Madrid.
He loves taking defenders on and beating them with his eye-catching trickery before burying the ball in the back of the net. Vinicius has also struck up a formidable partnership with Karim Benzema in attack.
He has been the best left-winger in the world in the 2021-22 season so far. The youngster has scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 20 appearances across all competitions for Los Blancos thus far.
