Midfielders (and more specifically, defensive and central midfielders) do most of the grunt work that stops a goal, and the intricate passing that leads to a goal but more often than not, their contributions are overlooked by the majority.
While some players such as Andrea Pirlo a few seasons ago and the likes of Toni Kroos or Paul Pogba right now are well known across the footballing world and get the praise they deserve, that is not the case with most of the midfielders.
Here, we take a look at five of the most underrated midfielders in the world – it is high time they get the applause they have earned.
#5 Idrissa Gueye
Last season, Gueye was the only silver lining in the worst Aston Villa season in recent memory. His style of play and his impressive performances did not go unnoticed as Everton came calling and this season, he has been an integral presence in the middle of the park for the Toffees. One can even say that Gueye has been one of the steals of the season.
Averaging an astonishing 4.9 tackles per game in the league as well as 2.3 interceptions per game, the Senegalese international has been the best defensive midfielder this season after N’Golo Kante, who gets much more limelight in comparison due to his last season’s exploits.
Gueye leads the Premier League chart in terms of tackles made overall and also has a passing rate of 84.8% which shows that his control on the ball is also good. Everton will be welcoming him back following Senegal’s departure from the AFCON and they will be happy to see him come back early. A player who definitely deserves more praise.
#4 Eric Dier
Ever since Dier moved to Spurs in 2014, he has been nothing but consistently immense for the most part. Signed for only a fee of £4 million, looking back it seems absurd that Spurs got such a talented player for such a cheap price.
Dier has been an integral part of the Spurs team since he broke into the starting eleven in his very first season. Further down the line, he was awarded for his consistent performances by a place in England’s Euro squad, where he did well for his country too.
This season, the 23-year-old has made 20 appearances for Spurs in the Premier League and has an astonishing pass accuracy of 86.4% alongside winning over 1.5 aerial duels per game and over one tackle and interceptions per 90 minutes.
Defensively sound and Spurs’ go-to man in that department, Dier is also competent as a central midfielder and his ability on the ball is integral to Pochettino’s plans. A brilliant player who shall only keep improving, Dier is one of the few English players who are underrated instead of being overhyped.
#3 Claudio Marchisio
With the exception of a one season loan at Empoli, Marchisio has spent his entire career with the club he grew up loving and rarely gets mentioned or praised due to bigger stars always being around him. The Italian, however, does not care about it much, though – he just goes on to the pitch and does his job, and mostly, he does it ever so well.
Perennially underrated, the 31-year-old has been with Juventus for around ten years now and has been an integral part of their team that has gone on to win the Scudetto five seasons in a row. Although he has not featured much this season, Marchisio still has a passing success rate of 84% across all three competitions and has scored a goal in the Champions League as well.
He has saved his best performances for the European competition but age seems no factor to Marchisio and he has been very good for Juventus whenever he has been called upon. It is high time he gets some appreciation, and only due to his lack of playing time is Marchisio not higher on this list.
#2 Gylfi Sigurdsson
If Swansea do manage to escape relegation this season, it would not be unfair to say that they should build statues of Sigurdsson and Fernando Llorente outside the Liberty Stadium.
With the Welsh club having already changed 3 managers this season, their only consistent performer has been the Icelandic international who delivers whenever his team needs him the most – which so far this season has been almost always.
With six goals and as many assists in 22 appearances in the Premier League this season, Sigurdsson has been one of the most consistent midfielders in the league and that is all the more impressive due to him playing for a relegation-threatened team. Defensively, the 27-year-old has made 1.2 tackles and one interception per game, while offensively he completes almost one dribble per game alongside two key passes and no Swansea player has been involved in more goals so far this season.
It is not far-fetched to say that a bigger club might come calling this summer and if so, Sigurdsson has deserved it.
#1 Koke
Atletico Madrid’s ever present force of nature in the middle of the park, the Spanish international is, without a doubt, the most underrated midfielder in the world.
A versatile midfielder, Koke has been a consistent performer for his team for a few seasons now and has stayed put despite offers coming for him almost every transfer window. Just reaching the peak of his game, the 25-year-old has been involved in five goals this season from a deep position and his constant running and menacing passes have been a problem for most oppositions Simeone’s men have faced.
Completing 85% of his passes in the Champions League and La Liga combined, Koke also wins almost two tackles per game alongside making over one interception per game and perhaps most astonishingly, he makes 2.5 key passes per game. While deployed as a central midfielder, for the most part this season, Koke is ready to move to the right or the left if need be and gives his best even there.
Receiving little media attention as he plays for Atletico and not Real (Madrid), Koke deserves a place here and he deserves the first place here for the excellent player that he is.
Honourable mentions:
Michael Carrick – Carrick has been underappreciated for his entire career, and only after Sir Alex Ferguson left that people started realising his importance. Nowadays, the Englishman does receive some appreciated from the majority which is the reason why he is not in the top 5.
Sami Khedira – A great player for Real Madrid, a great player for Juventus. Despite winning league titles in three of the top 5 leagues, Khedira has often been overlooked due to the presence of stars around him.
Victor Wanyama – Wanyama was a force of nature for Southampton and so far, has been brilliant for Spurs too. A great defensive midfielder, he has been one of the steals of the season and is an integral part of the title challenging Spurs team right now.
