Over the years, football has evolved a lot in terms of the style of play employed by teams, formations and managerial tactics, to name a few. But most importantly, there have been noticeable changes in the responsibilities of players, especially defenders.Defender, in particular, have a lot more riding on their shoulders today than ever before, as they need to pose a threat in attack, both from set-pieces and open play.Having such attack-minded defenders is always a bonus for a team contending for titles on various fronts. On that note, here's a look at five such players who possess the most attacking threat despite playing in defence.#5 Fernando HierroFernando Hierro stepped up for his teams offensively.Spain have produced many incredibly talented defenders over the years, but Fernando Hierro arguably ranks among the best.A highly versatile player who could play with ease in multiple positions, Hierro packed solid defensive play with expansive passing range and goalscoring prowess.After breaking out with Real Valladolid, Fernando Hierro moved to Real Madrid in 1989, where he firmly established himself among the league's biggest legends.Happy birthday to one of Real Madrid and Spain's greatest players, Fernando Hierro turns 53 today:🏟️ Games: 690🇪🇸 Caps: 88⚽ Goals: 160La Liga: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆Copa del Rey: 🏆 Supercopa de España: 🏆🏆🏆🏆Champions League: 🏆🏆🏆Intercontinental Cup: 🏆🏆UEFA Super Cup: 🏆 pic.twitter.com/spAr4QbBsS— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) March 23, 2021He was hugely sought-after for possessing an aerial threat during corners and his penchant for darting into the final third, making him a huge menace from open play too.Hierro was a regular goalscorer for Los Blancos, registering his career-best tally of 21 strikes in the 1991-92 season - the most by a defender in the club's history.#4 Laurent BlancThe former French defender was an expert set-piece taker.Laurent Blanc started out as an attacking midfielder at Montpellier before dropping back to become an effective sweeper, although that only served to harness his goalscoring prowess further.He scored well over 100 times in his club career, spanning nine teams, including Barcelona, Napoli, Inter Milan and Manchester United. Blanc also bagged 16 goals for France.DID YOU KNOW 🤔At 🇫🇷France 1998, defender Laurent Blanc scored the first golden goal in #WorldCup history ⚽️#WednesdayWisdom pic.twitter.com/HOTgIAX8jG— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) March 14, 2018Most of his goals came from set-pieces, where he excelled, while his towering stature allowed him to have a dominant presence, especially in aerial challenges.Blanc is most renowned for netting the Golden Goal against Paraguay in the last-16 of France's victorious campaign at the 1998 FIFA World Cup at home.