Ranking the 5 best active footballers who wear No.8 

#3 Leon Goretzka

England v Germany - UEFA Euro 2020: Round of 16

When people mention Leon Goretzka these days, the first thing they tend to bring up is his incredible transformation. Make no mistake, he deserves all the credit for working on himself. It is not the easiest thing to do, but ultimately he did it for his game. His game, yes, that needs to be talked about more.

If there's one man you don't want to tussle with in the midfield, it has to be Goretzka. With his big frame, the Bayern Munich No.8 is quick to impose himself on the opposition midfield. He suffocates space well and makes the most of his duels.

His aerial prowess is not spoken about enough. With his height and strength he is one of the biggest threats in set-piece situations and corners. Yet, despite being the 'ultimate muscle' of the Bavarians, he is not short on the ability to pick the perfect pass with absolute poise.

Since joining Bayern Munich as a free-agent, the German midfielder has made 120 appearances scoring 27 times and laying 28 assists. Goretzka stands out with his gazelle like bursts into the penalty box and you wouldn't dare come into his path. Now that's what you call an absolutely beautiful bargain.

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#2 Ilkay Gündogan

Manchester City v West Ham United - Premier League

Back in his Borussia Dortmund days, Ilkay Gundogan was one of the most exciting prospects in German football. However, over the years his craze faded away. He did what he did, stringing passes, making intelligent runs and scoring the odd goal. But fans anticipated something special and it never truly came.

This is not to say that you can remove him from the Manchester City midfield and you won't feel the impact. But there was a feeling that he never truly touched his ceiling or just showed glimpses of reaching there.

Last season, however, Gundogan rolled back the years. He reignited a youthful exuberance at 30 and performed worth every penny Manchester City spent on him (£20 million).

He scored 13 goals in 28 games in the Premier League last season. This put Pep Guardiola's side in a strong position to claim their third title in four years. Injuries have been unkind to the German but whenever he features, he gives every ounce of what he has on the pitch.

His intensity, quick thinking and movement make him the ideal player for a Pep Guardiola team. Gundogan's passing accuracy has been high since arriving at the Etihad. His off-the-ball movement has always been crucial in making space for his teammates.

He made the Premier League team of the year in the 2020-21 season and has accumulated 10 trophies in his career. The 31-year old is definiely one of the best No. 8s in the game today. He has gone under the radar for a long time due to his stats.

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#1 Toni Kroos

England v Germany - UEFA Euro 2020: Round of 16

There is no better orchestrator of the game from the midfield when your team is enjoying possession than Real Madrid lynchpin Toni Kroos. The 31-year-old has made 587 senior appearances at club level and has been undroppable regardless of the outfit he has worn.

For the last decade, there has not been a more consistent deep-lying playmaker than the German. There has been no shortage of silverware in his career. Kroos has laid his claim to three Bundesliga titles, four Champions League trophies and two La Liga titles.

He has a metronomic nature of passing. The precise weight of his deliveries and the vision to spot players in the most remote areas of the pitch make him unique. He can almost willingly switch the tempo of the game. He can increase it when his team is going all-out attack and steady it when the opposition starts to grow in the game.

Kroos arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2014 from Bayern Munich. Since then, he has maintained an incredible passing accuracy of more than 90% in every single season in La Liga. Indeed one could make a compilation of his best passes since he started playing and it will be a piece of art.

The 31-year old was injured this season and missed a few games at the start of the season. But since his arrival Real Madrid are back to their best. There has been speculation that Kroos might be on the move next season to look for a new challenge. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is greatly interested in his services.

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