Central-midfield: Santi Cazorla
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Santi Cazorla has had the unfortunate luck of being a midfielder in Spain during their golden generation, with the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets and Xabi Alonso clearly ahead in the pecking order. But it would be a disservice to forget how supremely talented the playmaker is.
Cazorla transferred to Arsenal from Malaga in the summer of 2012, and immediately became the creative hub of the team, routinely flabbergasting opponents and creating with both feet.
Like Clichy, an injury prompted his development with Cazorla routinely staying behind after training to kick the ball against a wall with his left-foot. As a result, he became one of the most ambidextrous players around, a study of Premier League players showing that he took 51% of his shots with his left-foot and 49% with his right.
While his cabinet may not be loaded with trophies, he can still boast of two European Championships with the Spanish national side, making 77 appearances and scoring 14 goals.
Central-midfield: Glenn Hoddle
Taking into account his slow, lumbering nature on the pitch, Hoddle may have never made it as a top footballer if it weren’t for his natural ambidexterity. Though he favored his left foot, Hoddle practiced so extensively, that he used his right foot for penalties and free-kicks.
His incredible vision saw him win the French title with Monaco in 1988 along with the league’s best foreign player award under the management of a certain Arsene Wenger. Wenger called Hoddle years ahead of his time, while greats like Michel Platini claimed that if Hoddle had been born French, he would have amassed over 150 caps.
He’s held in high-esteem at White Hart Lane as well, winning two FA Cups and a UEFA Cup with the London club and later managing them. He made 53 appearances for England, but he’s probably better known for his managerial stint as national team boss and the subsequent comments regarding disabled people that saw him sacked from the job.
Central-midfield: Wesley Sneijder
While he’s slowly faded away from the mainstream and is plying his trade in Turkey since 2013, it’s sometimes easy to forget what an incredible midfielder Sneijder was at his prime. The gifted midfielder almost single-handedly dragged Netherlands to the World Cup finals in 2010, finishing as join top-scorer with 5 goals in the competition.
He won a total of 5 league titles in 4 different countries, a Champions League with Inter Milan in 2010 and boasts of an incredible CV. The Dutchman’s blend of creativity, technique, vision and intelligence has seen him remain vital with the Netherland’s national team even though he’s well into his 30’s, becoming his country’s second-most capped player of all time.
