Most under-rated XI of the decade

Midfield

Miralem Pjanic

Pjanic has been an asset for all the teams he's played for

Miralem Pjanic landed in Italy in the year 2011 when he joined Roma after having spent the early years of his career in France with Metz and Lyon. The Bosnian was quick to win hearts in Rome with his exquisite technical qualities and ability to control the game from the midfield with the utmost ease. He spent 5 years in Rome before moving to country rivals Juventus in 2016.

At Juventus, he settled in pretty quickly and has also turned into a favourite in Turin. Fans affectionately call him "The Pianist" which signifies the impact he has on the Juventus midfield. He's good with freekicks and has a brilliant passing range and vision, and Pjanic on his day can cause opposition nightmares. He'll turn 30 next year and has a few years of brilliant football left ahead of him.

Arturo Vidal

Vidal's versatility is an asset that teams have utilised over the decade

Arturo Vidal is one of the most aggressive midfielders the world of football has witnessed in this decade. He joined Bayer Leverkusen in 2007 and spent 4 seasons before moving to Juventus. His performances in Turin earned him the nickname of "The Warrior". Bayern Munich wanted Vidal in 2011 when he joined Juventus and they got the opportunity to sign him in 2015 when Bastian Schweinsteiger left the club.

The Chilean left the Bavarian giants to sign for FC Barcelona in the summer of 2018. Vidal has played in the attack, midfield and defence for club and country through the course of his career. Most notably known as a box to box midfielder, he can play anywhere in the midfield and has also been fielded in central defence and as high as the position of a second striker. Few players as versatile as Vidal have embraced the beautiful game in recent years.

Thiago

Bayern's midfield maestro Thiago.

The third player in midfield is Thiago Alcantara. Coming through the ranks of the famous La Masia academy in Barcelona, the player struggled to cement a place in the starting lineup at Camp Nou due to presence of Xavi and Andres Iniesta. When Pep Guardiola joined Bayern Munich in 2013, he picked Thiago as the player he wanted at Bayern and the club authorities granted him his wish. Though struck with injury problems in his initial days in Munich, the club had been very supportive of the Spaniard and have helped him get past that phase.

The midfield metronome has repaid the club's faith through his string of classy, consistent performances over the next few seasons. Bayern's game has become so dependent on Thiago over time that they do struggle on the ground without him at the heart of midfield dictating the tempo of the game. An immensely talented midfielder with exquisite passing range and ball control, the 28-year-old is contracted to the Munich club till June 30, 2021.

David Silva

David Silva has been the flag bearer of Manchester City's successes over the years

The final player in midfield at the tip of the diamond is David Silva. The 33-year-old Spaniard started his career at Valencia and he spent 6 seasons at his boyhood club before moving out to Manchester City in 2010. He has been one of the key figures in the consistent trophy haul City have been notching up over the years. Till date, he has made 415 appearances scoring 74 goals and assisting 136 more during his time with the Cityzens. Silva has been part of a golden generation in Spanish football, winning the 2008 Euros, 2010 World Cup and 2012 Euros.

With his 35 goals in national colours, he is the 4th highest scorer ever for Spain. His 28 assists make him the 2nd highest assist provider ever for the Spanish national team. A talented and agile left-footed player, Silva is known for having excellent dribbling skills, outstanding technical ability and first touch, which, along with his intelligent attacking movements, allow him to create space for himself and teammates to open up defences and to retain possession in tight spaces.