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Utility players are starting to become a rarity these days. With a cap on the number of substitutes being raised in recent times, managers prefer players who are specialists in certain roles.
But ask managers who have had to lead injury-stricken teams through the season, and you'll hear differently. In any environment, versatile players who can play in a number of positions remain an asset to any club.
Players who can play in a number of positions also enable the manager to be tactically flexible and thus facilitate better in-game management.
For example, players like Wayne Rooney could play anywhere in midfield and in any position across the frontline and this enabled Sir Alex Ferguson to accommodate several big players in his squad as he could always depend on Rooney to switch positions and play to the strengths of the personnel around him.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the most versatile players in world football right now.
#5 Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Joshua Kimmich has been hailed as being world-class in two positions. Kimmich initially broke on to the scene as a promising defensive midfielder but under Pep Guardiola, Kimmich transitioned from midfield to defence and became a huge hit at right-back.
In a 2017 article on the Bundesliga website, Joshua Kimmich was described as a "veritable Swiss Army knife of a player." Kimmich's work-rate, technical prowess and ability to use brute force have all contributed to him becoming the player he is now.
Under Hans-Dieter Flick, Joshua Kimmich has returned to midfield and is absolutely acing it in the role of a holding midfielder. Kimmich has scored four goals and provided 14 assists in 31 appearances for Bayern Munich across the Bundesliga and Champions League this season.
#4 David Alaba (Bayern Munich)
David Alaba is an exceptional footballer. He earned praise for his pace, work-rate and dynamism during his early days at Bayern Munich when he played at left-back. But Alaba has mostly been fielded as a creative playmaker for the Austrian national side.
Bayern Munich tapped into his versatility and though he primarily plays at centre-back these days, it is not rare to see him play in midfield. Alaba can play as a defensive midfielder or as an attacking one. He can also play as a winger but we haven't seen a lot of that lately.
Like all the players on this list, it is David Alaba's technical proficiency that enables him to play in a multitude of positions. There is no doubt that Bayern Munich will miss him dearly once he leaves the club this summer as a free-agent.
#3 Alessandro Florenzi - Paris Saint-Germain (on loan from AS Roma)
Primarily a central midfielder, Alessandro Florenzi's pace and tenacity have come to be of great use on the flanks of late. The experienced Italian initially made a name for himself as a central midfielder before becoming a formidable presence on the wings.
He is as comfortable playing at right-back as he is in central midfield or as a winger on either flank. Florenzi, who is currently on loan at Paris Saint-Germain, has largely been used as a right-back this season. But he has also started games as a box-to-box midfielder and as a right winger.
Florenzi has evolved across the years and has become proficient at the various positions he has played by virtue of his hard work and tactical intelligence which we can see plenty of whenever he steps on to the pitch.
#2 Kai Havertz - Chelsea
Kai Havertz did not exactly hit the ground running at Chelsea. Critics were quick to dub him a big-money flop. But over the course of the season, we have seen glimpses of his quality and the 21-year-old is starting to become a very important player for the Blues.
A technically gifted, two-footed midfielder, Havertz is also a great header of the ball. As such, he can play in any position in midfield and across the frontline. There's very little that he can't do and in a star-studded Chelsea squad, Havertz has been able to set himself apart by virtue of his versatility.
This season, he has played as a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder, as a centre-forward and even as a right-winger. The German international, whose poise and elegance was quite the thing to behold in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid, is truly growing into his own at Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel.
#1 James Milner - Liverpool
One of the greatest utility players of his generation, James Milner has aged like fine wine. Milner has sustained his form and work-rate through his 30s and has been a vital cog in Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool. A tenacious presence on the pitch, Milner can be deployed in a variety of positions.
The Englishman has put his dynamism to work throughout his career. Though his preferred position is central midfield, he can play as a winger, attacking midfielder or as a full-back. Even better, he can play on either flank.
Milner possesses good passing range and is a dependable set-piece taker as well. James Milner has been a blessing this season as Liverpool struggled with injuries. Klopp has largely used Milner as a box-to-box or holding midfielder but he has also played at right-back a lot.
In his first season at Liverpool, Milner was mainly deployed at left-back which is one role he has admitted he does not prefer playing in. But it doesn't matter to Milner. In an interview published on Liverpool's official website in 2017, Milner said:
"It's about whatever's best for the team and ultimately I just want to be out there playing games, contributing and helping this football club."
