Playing as a defensive midfielder requires strength and good stamina. It is also a big advantage if you are a natural born leader on the soccer field and pose strong personality.

This is important because you will need to encourage your teammates and give them strength to work harder. You must also have enough power to force yourself to work hard.

This is why you need strong personality to perform well on this position. This will be very crucial, especially in important games where winning is the only option.

A defensive midfielder is in many cases captain of a soccer team. Your main job is to operate in front of your defense, between your offensive midfielders and stopper.

If you have an “off day”, your poor performance may have a negative effect on your whole team’s performance. Therefore you must always try to play your best because you are the true backbone of your team.

Number One Task

Your main tasks include roaming laterally from sideline to sideline, pressuring your opponents to make mistakes, allowing you to win the ball back for your team.

Winning Duels

Your job is also to win every possible duel on the midfield. In the offense you need to stay behind your attacking line, collect rebounds and upcoming miss-kicks.

Supporting Runs

You must also try to make supporting runs and provide back pass options for your teammates. This is especially important when the ball is out of play and near the sideline of the soccer field.

You Will Not Score Many Goals

Don’t expect to score very often while playing on this position. Try to play simply and do not dribble on your own half.

Deliver the ball to the offensive midfield and forwards, but of course if your team is leading like 5-0, then of you may try to dribble and shot little more often.

Great Players

Some greatest players have played as defensive midfielder. One of the greatest in today’s soccer is the Italian Pitbull Gennaro Gattuso who led his Italy to victory in World Cup 2006.

Another great player that dominated this position under early 90s was Brazil’s Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri, better known as Dunga.

He led his Brazil to World Cup final victory in 94 and they also reached Final of the 98 World Cup but were defeated by Les Blues (France).

Common for these players is that they pose good technique, are aggressive tacklers, have good sense of the game and are always well positioned.