8 players who made playing off the ball an art

Footballers who are great at playing off the ball are sometimes the biggest threats in a team, as they don’t need to create opportunities for themselves, but are almost always in the right spot for a goal-scoring opportunity.If a player moves intelligently without the ball, he could score with less than three touches after receiving.Some players have made this an art, and could be quite pesky, from a defensive point of view. They constantly make runs in behind or peel off defenders’ shoulders to get themselves clear on goal.

#1 Fernando Torres

Sadly, Fernando Torres’ career at Chelsea never took off as it should have, but the Spaniard was one of the most feared strikers on the planet during his time at Atletico Madrid and Liverpool.

Torres, who was named Atletico captain at just 19 years of age, scored a whopping 81 goals in 142 appearances for the Reds between 2007 and 2011.

After somewhat disappointing stints at Chelsea and AC Milan, the Spaniard returned to his boyhood club on a two-season loan from the Serie A side, but has yet to return to the scintillating form which prompted the Blues to part with £50 million five years ago.

Back when Torres was Torres, though, he was one hell of a striker. He employed pace and crafty movement to break away from defenders and score, often finding him with just a helpless keeper to beat.

Torres has certainly fallen from stardom, however, he will always be remembered fondly by Chelsea fans for that Champions League goal against Barcelona - another example of clever running.

#2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is now one of the most sought after players in European football, and is already a summer target for Manchester United.

The Gabonese forward – currently at Borussia Dortmund – plays mainly as a striker, but can fit in anywhere across the front three.

Aubameyang is an impressive dribbler who can beat his man one-on-one; he is also one of the fastest players in the game, possessing insane pace and agility. Movement off the ball is one of his hugest assets, however, he is as quick with the ball at his feet as he is without it.

He is currently having a stellar season in Germany, having scored 29 goals in 33 appearances for Dortmund. It’s highly unlikely that he will remain there, though. A bigger club is sure to swoop for him in the summer.

#3 Darren Bent

The Englishman – now at Derby County – is one of the best off-ball runners around. He is currently 32-years-old, but in his younger days, he was a pure goal-scorer and had blistering pace.

Bent can still put the ball into the back of the net at a decent rate, yet he is way past his best.

He was a defender’s nightmare back in the day, constantly playing off his marker’s shoulder. He always knew where to find himself in order to receive the ball in positions which would set him up for the best scoring chance.

The forward never had the best first touch, and it let him down a few times, however, he always posed a huge threat when he took to the pitch.

#4 Antoine Griezmann

Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann is probably the most versatile attacker in Europe. Able to play anywhere across the front three, the talented Frenchman is the Rojiblancos biggest goal threat. He has scored 22 goals in 38 appearances for the club in all competitions so far this season, and doesn’t look like slowing down.

Griezmann is a hard player to track. He plays the game on his toes and his movement off the ball is superb.

He hasn’t won a major trophy just yet, but it’s not hard to tell that the former Real Sociedad man is destined for success. Atletico don’t look like catching up with Barcelona, as they trail the defending champions by eight points in the points table. However, Griezmann is sure to win major silverware soon, be it at Atletico or somewhere else.

#5 Luis Suarez

The Uruguayan forward has been one of the deadliest strikers in Europe for a few years now. He’s almost sure to score every time he steps out on the pitch, and does bag the goals at a frightening rate.

Suarez has all the markings of a world-class striker. Pace, flair and an obvious eye for goal, along with the ingenuity and industry which puts him a notch above most forwards. What really makes him dangerous, though, is his ability to execute proper movement without the ball.

He always finds himself in great positions to score, and is extremely difficult for defenders to keep up with.

The former Ajax and Liverpool man is now part of the deadliest three-pronged attack in football, having teamed up with Lionel Messi and Neymar at Barcelona. He certainly finds that it’s a lot easier to score goals when playing in such a team.

#6 Filippo Inzaghi

The former AC Milan striker and manager was a complete nuisance in his day, mainly because he had mastered the art of off-ball running.

Inzaghi - who made 57 appearances for Italy, scoring 25 goals, made a living playing off his marker’s shoulder, which often left him in offside positions, but paid off more often than not.

So bothersome was this habit, Sir. Alex Ferguson once accused the striker of being born offside, but in fairer description, Inzaghi lived on the offside line. He was a real headache, as his movement made him impossible to track.

The Italian’s elusive proclivity led to many goal-scoring opportunities, which he mostly put away. Never a flashy or technically gifted player, he used his wit to his advantage, punishing opponent’s mistakes and making the best of his chances.

Fillippo ‘Pippo’ Inzaghi won’t be remembered for his flair or popularity, but he was a prolific scorer who knew just where to be on the pitch.

"Look, actually he can't play football at all,” Johan Cruyff once said of the Italian. “He's just always in the right position."

#7 Thomas Muller

World Cup winner Thomas Muller is a pure scorer, and one of Bayern Munich’s biggest assets. The German forward has had a brilliant professional career, albeit not grabbing the headlines like teammates such as Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and Robert Lewandowski.

Muller goes about his business quietly and out of the spotlight, but believe that the German giants would be nowhere near as potent without him in the squad.

He scores goals at an alarming rate and creates them as well. Over the last few years, no other Bayern player has been involved in more goals than the 26-year-old. He is actually the most consistent player in the star-studded squad.

Muller is probably the best at off-ball movement. He makes intelligent runs which create space, both for himself and his teammates, and always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

Germany manager Joachim Lowe had this to say about the forward:"He is a very unorthodox player and you can't really predict his lines of running, but he has one aim and that is: 'How can I score a goal?' That makes him so dangerous, especially in the box."

#8 Ruud van Nistelrooy

Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy will always be fondly remembered at former clubs Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Van Nistelrooy was a player who always scored goals for fun, using a burst of pace and intelligent movement. As a runner off the ball, he was second to none; he constantly made runs behind defences to give his teams the advantage with his excellent finishing skill.

The Dutchman could also hold the ball up to bring others into the play, and had a magnificent turn as well.

He is the fourth highest scorer in the history of the UEFA Champions League with 56 goals. And although he never won the competition, he did win two La Liga titles, two Eredevisie titles and a Premier League title.