#14 Toni Kroos
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Bayern Munich liability-turned-integral-member of Real Madrid; underestimate Toni Kroos at your own peril. Since switching to the Bernabeu, the 26-year-old German international has barely looked back, amassing a remarkable 70 chances for team-mates at a pass completion rate of 92% in his debut season with Los Blancos. This last calendar year has been adequate for the midfielder, who contributed well to his national side at the Euros, despite failing to register a goal, creating the second most chances in the German side (16).
The German’s trump card ultimately lays in his versatility; not built entirely for defensive football, Kroos has served both Bayern and Real well in a holding role, catalysing defence into attack, despite showing that he’s more than capable in the final third. In the Euros this summer, he averaged a pass length of 19m, the third highest in the team, and his pass range is exceptional, as are his vision, stamina and physical attributes.
Still very young in the grand scheme of things, Kroos already has two UEFA Champions League titles to his name, as well as having won three Bundesliga titles and the 2014 World Cup with Germany. There really is little left for him to win in his career, while his potential is limitless. Toni Kroos does the hidden work for Real Madrid but the sharpest pundits and journalists recognise that Real Madrid, having been blessed for a couple of years with his talent, simply could not function in the same way without him.
