Most successful position changes

PremierLeagueClass · Post by **PremierLeagueClass** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 6:55 pm

What are the best examples of a player position change that worked?

By all accounts Joelinton has been a revelation since moving into midfield (although there’s a question as to whether he was even a striker in the first place).

Grezza a good example for us in recent times. Tarky in midfield was a… no wait that hasn’t happened yet.

Milltown1882 · Post by **Milltown1882** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 6:56 pm

Chris Waddle as a sweeper/left back/left mid/right back back in the day?

bfcjg · Post by **bfcjg** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 6:59 pm

Ben Mee to centre half.

Dark Cloud · Post by **Dark Cloud** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:01 pm

Mike Conroy was apparently (and weirdly!) a right back before coming to us from Reading. That switch didn't work out too badly!

superdimitri · Post by **superdimitri** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:04 pm

Henry and Bale.

Chester Perry · Post by **Chester Perry** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:04 pm

Didn't both Dion Dublin and Chris Sutton start out as centre half's though really made their names as centre forwards

RVclaret · Post by **RVclaret** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:05 pm

Think Stephen Ward went from striker to left back.

GodIsADeeJay81 · Post by **GodIsADeeJay81** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:09 pm

Lahm, from Left back to Defensive mid.

Maldini from RB as a youth player originally, over to Left back and then to CB, he was world class as LB and the CB.

Ruud Gullit - anywhere across the midfield and as a forward, then he dropped back to defence as he got older I think.

bodge · Post by **bodge** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:20 pm

Simon Garner - from striker to retired.

Cirrus_Minor · Post by **Cirrus_Minor** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:22 pm

I seem to remember that Malcom MacDonald started out as a full back. This man ruined one of days in 1974.

gandhisflipflop · Post by **gandhisflipflop** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:36 pm

Before my time but saw that Brian Clough converted a centre forward to centre back in a documentary. Larry Loyd was it?

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:50 pm

Roger Eli was a defender before going up front for us.

Andy Farrell played the old fashioned 1 to 11 for Burnley. You can't successfully change position more than that.

gandhisflipflop · Post by **gandhisflipflop** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 8:13 pm

I wonder if Graham Branch played for us in all outfield positions?

Stalbansclaret · Post by **Stalbansclaret** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 8:18 pm

Always remember Paul Warhurst converting from a Sheff Weds centre back to centre forward with huge goalscoring success and even being called up for England as a striker. He subsequently made a bad choice of club of course but nevertheless he definitely fits the bill.

claretburns · Post by **claretburns** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 9:01 pm

David James up front for Man City

JohnMcGreal · Post by **JohnMcGreal** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 9:06 pm

Michail Antonio.

gtclaret · Post by **gtclaret** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 9:10 pm

gandhisflipflop wrote: ↑
Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:36 pm
Before my time but saw that Brian Clough converted a centre forward to centre back in a documentary. Larry Loyd was it?

Kenny Burns

ynot · Post by **ynot** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 9:44 pm

bfcjg wrote: ↑
Wed Mar 16, 2022 6:59 pm
Ben Mee to centre half.

Benn Mee came to Burnley as a centre half. He was playing out of position as a left back

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 9:48 pm

RVclaret wrote: ↑
Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:05 pm
Think Stephen Ward went from striker to left back.

From striker to left winger to left back

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 9:51 pm

ynot wrote: ↑
Wed Mar 16, 2022 9:44 pm
Benn Mee came to Burnley as a centre half. He was playing out of position as a left back

He did and didn’t do that well although he was playing usually alongside Edgar. Not exactly sure when he shifted to left back but it wasn’t too long into his Burnley career.

Michael Duff came as a central defender, moved to right back and then back into the middle.

fidelcastro · Post by **fidelcastro** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 9:57 pm

Didn't Roger Eli play all over the place before we played him as a striker?

claretblue · Post by **claretblue** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 10:10 pm

God to Bolton!

jedi_master · Post by **jedi_master** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 10:19 pm

Grezza to central midfield under Coyle (though I think Cotterill played him there too once?).

Wade as well - he went from an out and out right winger to the right side of the central midfield area (in a three with Grezza and McCann) under Coyle and arguably played his best football for us from there.

Blatherwickstattoo · Post by **Blatherwickstattoo** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 11:20 pm

Peter swan from centre half to striker or the other way around.

dsr · Post by **dsr** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 11:33 pm

Dark Cloud wrote: ↑
Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:01 pm
Mike Conroy was apparently (and weirdly!) a right back before coming to us from Reading. That switch didn't work out too badly!

I heard left back, but definitely full back. My parents met a Reading supporter on holiday just after we signed him, and the Reading man laughed his socks off at the thought of paying £35k.

basil6345789 · Post by **basil6345789** » Thu Mar 17, 2022 12:36 am

Fred Pickering - full back to centre forward, unfortunately tremendous!

HB Claret · Post by **HB Claret** » Thu Mar 17, 2022 1:05 am

I think Ray Kennedy went from being a striker to being a very classy midfielder.

Hipper · Post by **Hipper** » Thu Mar 17, 2022 8:34 am

Wasn't Wade Elliot originally a full back but changed to a winger before coming here?

Martin Dobson - centre forward to midfield, later midfield to sweeper.

Geoff Nulty - centre forward to midfield.

Peter Noble - forward to midfield to full back.

Paul Madeley - anywhere at any time! The same with Billy Ingham.

Remco van def Schaaf - top holding midfield player to waste of space in one match.

Hipper · Post by **Hipper** » Thu Mar 17, 2022 8:55 am

Edit. Sorry. Remco wasn't a success!

Possibly successful.

Leighton James - winger/midfield to sweeper in those desperate days of 86/87.

Billy Rodaway on his second return - centre back to midfield, also 86/87.

Hipper · Post by **Hipper** » Thu Mar 17, 2022 8:56 am

gtclaret wrote: ↑
Wed Mar 16, 2022 9:10 pm
Kenny Burns

I saw Kenny Burns play centre forward in one of those repeat Big Matches on TV recently. He looked good, a talented player. It's shame my image of him is as a rough centre back as he was a good defender too.

IanMcL · Post by **IanMcL** » Thu Mar 17, 2022 9:06 am

Glenn Hoddle when he went to Swindon as player manager. Went to sweeper and controlled everything that happened on the pitch. On field coaching, as he got them playing very good football, his way, with great success.

dsr · Post by **dsr** » Thu Mar 17, 2022 9:34 am

Paul Weller moved from the wing to central midfield with reasonable success.

StuffyClaret · Post by **StuffyClaret** » Thu Mar 17, 2022 10:03 am

John Spicer to goalie

ClaretCliff · Post by **ClaretCliff** » Thu Mar 17, 2022 10:43 am

Colin Blant, centre forward converted to centre half. Love this quote from a sports journalist - l "Blant was a mobile hazard to players of both sides".

Fretters · Post by **Fretters** » Thu Mar 17, 2022 1:46 pm

superdimitri wrote: ↑
Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:04 pm
Henry and Bale.

I'd add Christiano Ronaldo too.

boyyanno · Post by **boyyanno** » Thu Mar 17, 2022 4:20 pm

James Milner has to be up there.

warksclaret · Post by **warksclaret** » Thu Mar 17, 2022 4:42 pm

Hipper wrote: ↑
Thu Mar 17, 2022 8:34 am
Wasn't Wade Elliot originally a full back but changed to a winger before coming here?

Martin Dobson - centre forward to midfield, later midfield to sweeper.

Geoff Nulty - centre forward to midfield.

Peter Noble - forward to midfield to full back.

Paul Madeley - anywhere at any time! The same with Billy Ingham.

Remco van def Schaaf - top holding midfield player to waste of space in one match.

Some great examples-also Gareth Taylor was a centre forward but recall him playing centre half-maybe for Forest.

I know Tom Heaton was a GK, but my friend went to the same school. He was a right back at school but in one game stood in for the goal keeper who got injured. Been a GK ever since

Darnhill Claret · Post by **Darnhill Claret** » Fri Mar 18, 2022 12:09 pm

Luton goalscoring right back called Malcolm Macdonald.
Leeds tricky left winger Terry Cooper to wing back or in those days, overlapping left back.
Mike England temporary move from centre half to centre forward. Ouch. This was at a time when many clubs would send their centre halves up front for the last ten minutes of a game to equalise or snatch a winner.
Franny Lee and Mike Summerbee interchanging from right winger to centre forward, as and when it suited.
Think Billy Rodaway moved from left back to centre back as well and maybe sweeper and or defensive midfielder. Great club servant but his lack of pace probably meant managers were never quite sure which was his strongest position.

Silkyskills1 · Post by **Silkyskills1** » Fri Mar 18, 2022 12:23 pm

Billy captained Liverpool Schoolboys to a national title around 1970. Very talented midfield player then.
Talking about Mike England playing up front instead of central defence he did just that at Turf Moor in late 1965 and Blackburn won 1-4. A few years earlier Man Utd. visited Burnley and put international defender Noel Cantwell up front . He scored and we lost 1-3. Neither England nor Cantwell continued in those positions.
Remember being at Blackburn in the mid 60's and Burnley born Mike Ferguson was switched from an out and out winger to play a deeper role in midfield.for the 2nd half v Newcastle who were leading 1-2. Fergus was absolutely outstanding, controlled the game totally and the home side ended up winning 4-2. I don't know whether that then became his permanent position afterwards.
Just trying to recall the name of the Oldham.player converted from defender to striker successfully in the early 90's when Joe Royle was manager.

Darnhill Claret · Post by **Darnhill Claret** » Fri Mar 18, 2022 12:41 pm

Think Ricky Holden might have switched positions.

Hipper · Post by **Hipper** » Fri Mar 18, 2022 2:16 pm

Colin Waldron played in midfield for Sunderland I think. Whether he was a success at it I can't comment.

scamander · Post by **scamander** » Sat Mar 19, 2022 1:45 pm

Bit of a tangent but a few keepers were originally outfield players, think Richard Wright was outfield as a youngster.

Chris Kirkland was similar and Graeme Stack was a midfielder with Arsenal youth (I think).

Bale was a left back, 'Arry was trying to sell him but had to stick him in the Spurs team due to injury of Assou-Ekotto at the behest of the coaching staff. Rest is history though 'Arry has happily taken credit.

Seem to remember Petit was a left back as a kid, Henry was a winger.

Kevin Phillips was a defender at Saints, then released to non-league where he played as a full back. Got a chance upfront and did very well!

Wasn't Little a centre mid as a youngster?

superdimitri · Post by **superdimitri** » Sat Mar 19, 2022 1:47 pm

Little was a centre mid later in his career for non league teams.