6 Forwards who could retire as midfielders

Preservation is key to longevity. Something that has been taken care of diligently will last longer than something that has not. Over-usage is the root of degradation.In football, the midfielders, defenders and the goalkeepers, generally, last the longest given their tendency to cover ground in a somewhat passive way their job doesnt often require them to run at full pace as defending is more about teamwork and goalkeeping is, well, goalkeeping.The attackers, however, hit their decline before the players of other positions do. The reason is quite apparent: they run at quicker bursts and when they can no longer do that, they start waning. However, there were some attackers who shifted to a deeper role in order to lengthen their career.Raul did it at Schalke, so have Wayne Rooney, Mousa Dembele and Bastian Schweinsteiger. Recently, Lionel Messi claimed that he would shift to a deeper role if required to prolong his career. So here we make an assumption of 5 attackers who could end up as midfielders.

#6 Giuseppe Rossi

Rossi has been plagued by injuries a lot in his career

Remember him? Its like he just disappeared into thin air after having his best ever season as a professional footballer, scoring 32 goals in all competition as a Villarreal player in 2010-11.

Injuries have been very rude to him as he hasnt been able to reach even 25 games per season since his anterior cruciate ligament decided to snap every time a mediocre gust of wind blew past it.

He has all the necessary skills to become a midfielder and, as a matter of fact, operates best playing behind a striker. His vision is better than that of a hawk and does justice to it by being equally good at executing passes that shreds defenses.

Playing as a forward has been taking its toll on him and it might best if he shifts to a ball-playing midfielder to save himself. His technique and creativity, and bustling approach off-the-ballcould just about be the perfect mix of ingredients for a midfielder.

#5 Pedro Rodriguez

Chelseas newest experiment. After playing with toys Mohammad Salah and Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, Jose Mourinho got bored of them like any restless child would and has gone out and purchased one of the most effective, yet brutally underrated, forwards in world football.

After his breakthrough season in Pep Guardiolas treble winning campaign, Pedro has been a consistent name on Barcas team sheet and has scored some very valuable goals for the Catalan club. His cunning movements and change of pace make him one of the trickiest players to deal with.

And it is for this reason that he could end up as an all-action box-to-box di Maria-esque midfielder.

Although he doesnt possess the dribbling and Hollywood-passing skills of the Argentine, he is equally as direct as the former Real Madrid star and could unsettle many defenses with direct running from deep. His altruistic work ethic means that the defense can always count of him in crunch situations.

And Mourinho might just take a leaf out of Ancelottis book and try him there.

#4 Wayne Rooney

Rooney has started as a striker in the new campaign for United

Well, this shouldnt come as a surprise to anyone. Wayne Rooney is the most likely, among the 5 listed here, to finish his career as a full-fledged midfielder. In the last few years, in fact, he has played more games in midfield than as a forward.

His versatility coupled with the insane amount of work-rate he puts in during each game is nothing short of spectacular. But thats not the only reason why 3 managers have seen a potential midfielder in him.

He can pass, be it short or long; can win the ball back better than many midfielders; doesnt lose possession very often; is very good at tight spaces; and, most importantly, has a great positional sense. The only lacking in his game is a prolonged period of consistency.

If he was a bit more consistent in his endeavors, he might as well have been labelled as one of the best midfielders in the world already but that day is probably not far anyway.

#3 Luis Suarez

Barcelonas season turned around after the arrival of Luis Suarez from Liverpool

Another striker whose playmaking skills made the difference between a trophy-less season and a treble-winning campaign for the Catalans.

Despite missing the start of the campaign, Luis Suarez impact made Barca unstoppable after a shaky start themselves. The former Liverpool players withdrawn movements allowed both Messi and Neymar space to exploit.

The Uruguayans passing in pressure situations is commendable. His ability to find his team mates even in the most crowded zones is a testament to the fact that he can be highly effective deeper down the pitch.

Also, the former Ajax man is someone who doesnt back down from making challenges and relentlessly pressurizes the opposition when he doesnt have the ball. All these features are good enough for us to make an assumption that he could indeed be a good midfielder.

#2 Karim Benzema

Benzema has spent 6 years with Real Madrid

To many, he is a striker with a brain of a midfielder. Karim Benzema is not your perfect definition for an old school striker. His games-per-goal ratio is mediocre at best, but he is still regarded as one of the top 10 players in the world now.

And the reason for it is simple: his playmaking abilities.

In a team like Real Madrid, where non-Spanish players arent known to make it for a long time, he has spent 6 years with this stature rising to that of an indispensable player. His mesmerizing technique of releasing the ball accurately within two touches and that, too, in crunch zones like the attacking third makes him the most essential cog in bringing the best out of Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.

This type of crispy and intelligent passing is all that is required to be effective in a midfield role and if anyone among the current batch of strikers in world football has the ability to shine deeper, it is him.

#1 Lionel Messi

The obvious one. The Argentines recent remarks about switching positions worked as the source of inspiration for this article.

Lionel Messi started his Barca career playing on the right with Thierry Henry on the other side and Samuel Etoo leading the line. However, as time progressed, the ex-Newells kid has been transformed into a devastating centre-forward before being brought back to the right in order to accommodate both Luis Suarez and Neymar.

He is the most skilled player in the world. Most forwards have paceas their greatest asset, but not Messi. He can do almost anything with absolute grace; be it passing to build plays or long-range passes to initiate counters, he can do it all.

And it is for this reason that he can play in a deeper role and still excel at it. His ability to pass the ball with utmost brilliance and hold onto possession even in the tightest of spaces will allow him to have a longer career while playing as a midfielder.

Edited by Staff Editor